Courtesy of Square Enix, I’ve gone hands-on with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for nearly five hours. It felt closer to two hours because I loved every moment I spent with it. What Square Enix, Creative Business Unit 1 have seemingly achieved is the goal of nearly every sequel: More of what you love, but bigger and better.

In anticipation of Rebirth, I’m replaying Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. It’s reminding me that this remake saga is a labor of passion. Not only is the game directed by a fan of the original, Naoki Hamaguchi, but the dev team is comprised of people who were involved with the original, including the director of the original, Yoshinori Kitase, who is producing Rebirth.

I’m honest; I haven’t played the original Final Fantasy VII, but I have thoroughly done my due diligence in researching and understanding the story and its cast of characters. Rest assured, I will be playing it in the future.

A faithful adaptation, including reimagined ideas with a few surprises, is how I love to see beloved narratives treated in remade games. Square began that in Remake and is continuing it in Rebirth.

Deceptive Memories

My hands-on began with an extensive flashback sequence to Cloud and Sephiroth’s investigative visit to Nibelheim. That alone has me appreciating that the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga has three games’ worth of room to breathe. For the sake of preserving the narrative for both fans of the original and newcomers alike, I’m sharing little. Between exploring the town, meeting the locals, scaling Mt Nibel, and the following core events, I’m confident fans will be delighted and surprised by what they experience.

Narratively, that continues into the village of Kalm, where Cloud and his party of rebels are laying low after the climactic conclusion of Remake. Cloud recounts his experience in Nibelheim with Sephiroth, leading Tifa to question the tall tale. Fans of the original may know what I’m getting at, but there’s an added layer of drama to this scenario in Remake that I won’t spoil.

That beat introduced the first of multiple new game mechanics present in Rebirth. As I’m unleashed to explore Kalm, I’m encouraged to spend time with my party members to boost morale and improve relationships. An emote is displayed above each party member during free-roaming sections, indicating their status. As you engage in side activities with them, your bonds are affected. Depending on their status, portions of the story will be altered.

Deal ‘Em Up

While hanging out with party members, I discovered Queen’s Blood, the new card game. Honestly, I’ve never been able to get into card games within games like Gwent in The Witcher 3.

Mechanically, Queen’s Blood functions well. It’s relatively easy to understand but seemingly challenging to master. I won’t bore you with the tedious details, but the presentation is lovely and features a bangin’ jazz-influenced soundtrack. Defeating opponents grants you new cards for your deck and other unique rewards. You’re free to customize your deck over time, and the ruleset seems to provide an enjoyable level of depth.

Later, my date with Aerith was rudely interrupted by Shinra officers, thrusting the party into the vast grasslands beyond Kalm. You get your Skyrim/Fallout walkout moment, and it’s beautiful between the presentation, music, and party banter.

Into the Great Beyond

It’s no secret that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth features an open world, a vast expansion to Remake’s more linear structure. The Remake saga is fully realizing the original game’s grand vision. What the team achieved in 1997 is impressive to this day. Experiencing it in its modern glory is borderline surreal. I imagine it’s emotional for die-hard fans.

After self-reflection, I’ve realized I’ve completed only a few open-world games in the last few years. I’ve learned that I’ve completed the ones including the most purpose. I love that Rebirth is designed with purpose at the forefront. Everything you engage in has meaning.

Completing odd jobs with party members and locals improves bonds and offers rare rewards. Altering your party lineup between battles affects your abilities. Activating Remnawave towers worldwide for your boy, Chadley leads to developing more powerful Materia and reveals points of interest. Conquering all the objectives during fiend battles grants better rewards, including more AP and EXP. Wrangling and kitting new Chocobo adds abilities like scaling walls, swimming, and flying. Raw materials collected can be crafted into usable items.

Not to mention the plethora of mini-games across the world that not only look fun but will likely grant satisfying rewards between the ridiculous and practical. Between my hands-on time recently and back in October of 2023, I’ve yet to experience several mini-games apart from Queen’s Blood and Chocobo races. There is an impressive music-related mechanic, not unlike the guitar in The Last of Us Part II, that I’ll let you discover for yourself.

Killer Combat

Final Fantasy is and will likely always be heavily focused on combat. I love the ATB system and fluidity of combat that began in Remake. It’s flashier and more impressive in Rebirth between animations and abilities. Determining your skill path affects your party members’ abilities, notably the new powerful Synergy Attacks.

I’ve played enough to know that you aren’t punished for experimentation. You can reset your skills anytime and alter your party lineup between battles. You’re also able to create three preset lineups for easier access.

It’s likely Square has thought of everything in maximizing the fun factor of the moment-to-moment experience. It helps that I adore these characters, and I can’t wait to be introduced to the remaining cast. Whether we’re wrangling a Chocobo, picking flowers, slaying a massive beast, or simply exploring, hanging out with them is a blast.

Unlock the World

During both hands-on sessions, I’ve had a lot of fun exploring the Grasslands and a slice of Junon. As you progress through the game, portions of the map are unlocked, eventually leading to a seamless open world. You can fast travel anywhere between main destinations, towers, and rest stops you’ve repaired. That’s a wonderful quality-of-life feature, but it may not be taken advantage of during initial playthroughs often. There’s a ton to experience as you explore. I’m stoked to discover all that Gaia has to offer.

During my hands-on, I encountered a few minor concerns. Similar to Remake, not all the animations and textures are equal in Rebirth. Fortunately, all of the major characters and locations look outstanding. However, some side characters and locales haven’t received as much love.

I’ve played multiple hours in quality mode as well as performance mode. Both modes feature stable frame rates targeted at 30 and 60, respectively. Quality mode looks pretty, with some cutscenes looking gorgeous. Unfortunately, the presentation takes a notable dip in resolution in performance mode. It makes sense, given Rebirth’s scale compared to Remake; it’s just a slight bummer.

There are also frequent texture pop-ins everywhere. It doesn’t hinder gameplay, but it’s distracting. I’d like to think it’ll be cleaned up before launch, but I had the same hope for Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and we saw how that played out. What’s important is that the fun isn’t inhibited in either mode. While I prefer higher frame rates, I can bear 30 fps when locked and optimized.

Mark Your Calendar for Feb. 29

There’s a lot to look forward to. The gameplay is vastly expanded with satisfying progression. Director Naoki Hamaguchi claims the narrative is faithful to the original but doesn’t discount the potential for a few surprises. Many questions are in the air following Remake, and I’m looking forward to having some answered in Rebirth. At this point, I’ve played enough to recognize that this Remake saga couldn’t be in better hands. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on February 29th, 2024.

***Travel, hotel, and access to preview event provided by Square Enix***

The post Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: I Played 4 Hours and Loved Every Minute appeared first on COGconnected.

Courtesy of Square Enix, I’ve gone hands-on with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for over an hour. I experienced the same demo presented at TGS 2023. Watching that demo made me eager; playing it got me hyped. 

Rebirth is the second entry out of three planned Final Fantasy VII remake titles. Following the events of the first entry, Cloud and company embark into the further regions of the planet. Rebirth features all the best aspects of part one’s gameplay and presentation, evolved combat mechanics, expansive areas to explore, more side content, mini-games, and various means of transportation. 

Satisfying Combat Just Got Spicier

The hybrid real-time and turn-based combat system is back with new abilities and team dynamics. With several of Cloud’s friends along for the ride, you can experiment with your lineup between battles. I tried fighting alongside Tifa and Aerith during my demo and later with Aerith and Red XIII. A lot of the fun of combat for me is determining whose abilities best complement each other. 

Regardless of my lineup, I never felt punished for trying new things. The reward was discovering new combos most effective toward particular enemy types. The most prevalent new addition is Synergy Attacks. When one party member’s limit gauge fills, you can unleash a brutal attack with a fellow member, resulting in beautiful animations dealing massive damage. I was already into Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s unique spin on combat, and these new features add more depth to that satisfying loop. 

Final Fantasy VII Goes Open World!! (Sort of)

They’re more like hub worlds akin to games you’re likely familiar with, such as God of War. During my demo, I explored a small slice of a much larger explorable area leading to the industrial city of Junon. Along the way, I discovered valuable treasure and resources, environmental puzzles, Chocobo Chicks that led me to rest spots, and multiple fiends to bring down, all while riding around on my trusty Chocobo. 

It’s not a new idea, but hub worlds versus full-blown open worlds have been refreshing for me in recent years. I’ve never been able to get into Final Fantasy XV, mainly due to its open-world gameplay. I prefer spending time with VII’s characters anyway, but focusing on smaller, meticulously designed spaces usually pays off.

I’m embarrassed to admit I couldn’t figure out the puzzle, but seeing as everything else you do in the game is rewarding, I expect the same for completing them. YES, you can pet the Chocobo Chicks. Rebirth also includes an item crafting system enabling you to create what you need while on the go. I get tired of collecting limitless resources in games for minimal purposes. Fortunately, everything I went out of my way to collect while exploring was helpful, notably in crafting potions. 

Each fiend battle plays like a mini-boss battle and features a set of optional combat challenges. The more you complete, the greater the experience gained. I didn’t get a chance to try out any vehicles, but from the recent trailer, it looks like some pretty sweet rides are out there. I’m dying to take the Segway for a spin. 

I also missed the supposed “mini-games” in the recent trailer. Between Chocobo races and boxing in the old graphics style, plenty of escapades exist. 

It’s A Bold Strategy, Cotton

One of my favorite aspects of Final Fantasy VII Remake is the bold choice to reimagine the story. The first entry sets the expectation, and Rebirth seemingly takes it further. At the start of my demo, Sephiroth was in my party and playable in a flashback sequence. 

His abilities seem to revolve around parrying and ranged attacks. His Synergy Attacks with Cloud are particularly sick. If playing as Sephiroth is merely the onset of Square’s reimagined narrative, I can’t wait to see what else is in store for Rebirth.

A notable part of the flashback’s gameplay were multiple paths featuring parkour. In part one, some sequences across Midgar had Cloud and the gang leaping around, but there’s even more in Rebirth. 

It’s kind of funny to watch Cloud climb up and down cliffs and shimmy across narrow caverns. Maybe it’s the slight stiffness of how it feels to play. It’s functional and makes sense, given the nature of the more expansive hub areas, but it’s not as smooth as general traversal and combat. 

Hey, Good Lookin’

To no one’s surprise, Rebirth is graphically exceptional. During my demo, I played in graphics mode. The framerate seemed to hover between 30-45 frames without significant drops. Rebirth will launch with a framerate option as well.

I’ve only played Rebirth for an hour and couldn’t be more excited to play the full game. I barely scratched the surface of a single hub area, the combat’s even more interesting, there’s a ton of goofy activities to try, and I can’t wait to meet new characters and see how the story’s evolved. 

Final Fantasy Rebirth launches for PS5 on February 29th, 2024. For more on Final Fantasy, stay tuned to COGconnected. 

***Travel, hotel, and access to preview event provided by Square Enix***

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It’s wild to know the Assassin’s Creed franchise has been around for nearly sixteen years. For me, it’s a series with several wins and few misses. Following Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Mirage returns to a design akin to the OG titles. The announcement intrigued me. Following the three hours I spent hands-on, I’m happy to say that fans of the earlier games can look forward to much. 

Assassin’s Creed Mirage follows the story of Basim in 9th-century Baghdad. He begins as a common street thief and eventually gets the attention of the “Hidden Ones.” He’s like if Aladdin proved himself to serial assassins instead of the Sultan of Agrabah. While I only experienced brief sequences of the game’s opening hours, I got the sense that we’ll see Basim’s entire arc.

The few supporting characters I met along the way; notably his mentor, Roshan, were all interesting, and I enjoyed the dialogue they shared in cutscenes. I can’t share the details of where the story in my experience concluded, but I can say that it left me wanting more. 

Return to Form

As gameplay started, I immediately loved the parkour, similar to Unity. Every aspect of Baghdad’s environment and architecture can be interacted with. You can ascend and descend at will and free run endlessly. Mirage features a city that’s both stunning in presentation and game design.

At the start, Basim and his friend Nehal visit a market to steal from some wealthy bystanders. The pickpocket mechanic is simple but fun. It’s similar to achieving an active reload in Gears of War. You have to stop an animation within an emblem that appears on screen briefly. 

I then jumped into the end of Basim’s trial with the hidden ones, where I was introduced to the meat and potatoes of Mirage’s gameplay: stealth and combat. In previous Mirage previews, stealth gameplay has shown off chain attacks and other cool abilities, not all of which were seen in the series before. I didn’t have the opportunity to experience those moves, but I did have fun sneaking around multiple compounds and silently taking out targets.

Devil in the Details

It’s a small detail, but I was stoked that Basim is missing a finger for the sake of his hidden blade. I only experienced a few hours each in the last three Assassin’s Creed games. Admittedly, I wasn’t a big fan of the combat. I didn’t love feeling like I was hitting sponges with a Nerf sword. I’m a simple man. Give me the older game’s combat, not unlike Batman Arkham, and sick finishing animations for each kill.

Mirage features combat mechanics that seem to be a combination of the old and recent. Enemies aren’t nearly as spongy, but they continue to attack in more interesting ways that keep me engaged. Attacks prompt you to either parry or dodge. You have a light and heavy attack with different effects and various unlockable throwables, including knives. 

It’s pretty fun, but I may end up disappointed by the combat finishing animations. Whether I happened to trigger the same animation dozens of times or the build I played was bugged, I only saw a few different ones. Nine times out of ten, I saw the same simple kill animation. It doesn’t remotely ruin what’s fun about combat, but the repetition did bum me out a bit. 

Choose Your Method

Lastly, I experienced the major component of Mirage’s gameplay in a “Black Box Mission” similar to what’s included in Unity and Syndicate. Your target’s located in a wide area, and it’s up to you to figure out how to find and assassinate them. Honestly, I didn’t love every moment of hunting down my target. The few options I chose to narrow down their location were tedious and boring. However, I could tell that these missions will feature variety. The final moments of finding and bringing down my target were a blast and a nostalgic Assassin’s Creed feeling. 

Another aspect I enjoyed was the level of customization for Basim in both style and function. His gear can be outfitted in many ways, along with the weapons he carries. Throughout the small amount of time I spent with him, he seemed to be a charismatic character. I’m looking forward to seeing where he ends up in his own game. 

I can’t share any conclusive thoughts on the game’s presentation as I experienced it on PC at 1080p through a remote streaming solution. It did run at a high frame rate, and I can confirm that the game will ship with 4K capability. Assassin’s Creed games have always featured stellar soundtracks and the music I’ve heard in Mirage lives up to that legacy. 

My time was brief, but Assassin’s Creed Mirage is seemingly a good return to the series’ original form while adopting positive aspects from the more recent games. For more on Assassin’s Creed Mirage, stay tuned to COGconnected. 

The post Assassin’s Creed Mirage: I Spent Three Hours Hands-on appeared first on COGconnected.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is an incredibly fun video game. Fallen Order was merely the appetizer for the Jedi Survivor feast. It features all you can hope for and beyond, with drastically expanded gameplay complimented by a subversive yet compelling narrative with interesting new characters. There have been a few gems in the franchise over the last decade, but I believe Respawn Entertainment has produced the best of Star Wars since the Disney acquisition.

Every aspect of its design is bigger and better. Combat is endlessly dynamic due to five unique lightsaber stances with their own ability trees. While each is most effective for particular scenarios, you aren’t forced into using any specific stance. You’re free to enjoy your playstyle, with the only caveat being the limit of equipping a max of two stances.

Having completed the game, I’m feeling indifferent about the limit. On the one hand, I appreciate the challenges of some combat encounters, given the two stances I have equipped. However, I’m interested in experiencing what combat could be like with the option to switch between all five simultaneously. It likely feels like god mode, so I’m sure Respawn has a particular reason for it. Thankfully, you’re able to swap stances frequently at any mediation point.

Each stance is fun and satisfying. I like the balance of single blade, the frenzied attacks of dual wield, crowd control with double-bladed, and the brutality of crossguard, but blaster stance is my favorite. While a Jedi wielding a blaster has been seen before, playing as one is an entirely new experience. Between picking off weaker enemies from afar and breaking down the guard on tougher ones, it’s helpful in nearly every fight. Beyond the badass nature of having a blaster at your disposal, you can increase its versatility by changing its shot type.

Endlessly Dynamic

Combining lightsaber combos with a variety of force abilities is a blast. Jedi mind trick plays a significant role throughout the game. You can temporarily confuse enemies and hostile creatures to fight alongside you in combat. It’s beneficial when you’re overwhelmed. I could comment on many fun combos, but one of my favorites includes levitating several enemies and marking them all with the blaster’s quick draw for a fast succession of kills. It’s a cheeky trick I learned from Design Director Jason De Heras at the Survivor preview event.

Throughout the game, there are sequences when companions accompany you. They’re effective combatants on their own, but you can also use their abilities at will to assist with crowd control. The banter between Cal and his friends along with the sick takedown animations they have in combat is a welcome addition.

The wide array of enemy types also contributes to the fun of combat. The Empire, the new Bedlam Raider faction, Battle Droids, Haxion Brood, and wild creatures are each packed with foes that challenge your combat prowess. On top of all, Survivor features a perk system that significantly alters your playstyle. You can upgrade your available perk slots as you progress through the game, leading to many dynamic builds. I like how some perks are pure power-ups while others present risk versus reward opportunities.

Between main and side bosses, each showdown is memorable and challenging. I’m playing on the standard difficulty “Jedi Knight,” and there haven’t been any noticeable difficulty spikes. Some encounters are more demanding than others, but each battle feels balanced and fair. Every aspect of combat is brilliantly designed, and I’m still loving it after more than twenty-five hours with the game.

If you haven’t already noticed, Jedi Survivor is massive. There are six explorable planets, with Koboh and Jedha being the most expansive. Koboh serves as your hub world where you can build up the settlement of Rambler’s Reach. Throughout the game, you encounter many characters across the galaxy who you can invite to the settlement. Each of them serves a purpose. Whether they’re a vendor, eccentric fisherman, mini-game host, Dj, or bounty supplier, every character provides you with resources or gameplay opportunities.

Most reside at the infamous Pyloon’s Saloon established by your old pal, Greez. Seeing the saloon evolve from an empty bar to a thriving and bustling community is cool. While both Fallen Order and Survivor feature what is commonly referred to as “hub worlds,” Koboh alone feels like an entirely open world. It’s gigantic, with over a hundred collectibles and secrets to uncover. Settlers can provide you with rumors that lead to new discoveries and boss fights, and exploration is highly encouraged, as you’re rewarded for every path you follow.

Cal Kestis, Jedi Knight

Thankfully, Cal isn’t stripped of his basic force abilities at the start, and progression is well-paced. While there’s reason to return to planets for further exploration after acquiring upgrades, Respawn regularly introduces stances, force abilities, and equipment to keep things fresh. Jedi Survivor makes the most of your abilities between Mediation Chambers akin to Shrines in Breath of the Wild and Force Tears that present you with various challenges. There are a few puzzles within Mediation Chambers that took me a while to wrap my head around. Additionally, the Force Tears put your combat and platforming skills to the test. Fortunately, you’re rewarded handsomely for conquering them.

I’ve long had an affinity for Coruscant. Jedi Survivor opens with an exhilarating sequence on the planet. Ironically, it’s my least favorite to revisit after the intro. Once you acquire some upgrades, there are a few new areas to uncover, but you explore the bulk of it in the beginning. Jedha’s a vast desert planet similar to the scope of Koboh. Some of my favorite environmental puzzles are there. I also adore the music reminiscent of Raiders of the Lost Ark that plays as you explore. It’s also fun to take advantage of creatures you can mount to travel faster and reach higher areas on both Koboh and Jedha.

The best aspect of combat and traversal collectively is that it feels phenomenal. Each lightsaber stance is responsive and intense. Platforming is smooth between zipping around with your ascension cable, wall running, dashing, and Jedi flipping. All of it’s complemented by gorgeous animations that make everything you do look and feel amazing. Respawn’s games are always mechanically exceptional, and the trend continues in Jedi Survivor.

Fallen Order’s common criticism of limited customization for Cal has been tremendously addressed. There are dozens of cosmetics between hair and bear styles, jackets, shirts, and pants. All of the clothing features multiple color options providing a ton of variety. I’m confident you’ll find one or numerous looks to love. I stuck to a similar look to the game’s key art for Cal’s hair and beard. There are some pretty dramatic scenes throughout the game. While playing, I wondered how funny it could be to watch them if Cal sported a mullet and handlebar mustache. I appreciate that Respawn is fearless in allowing players to alter Cal’s look as wildly as they please.

Lightsaber customization returns along with the same depth for BD-1 and your blaster. There are countless parts for your lightsaber, including the option to change the vents and their angle for crossguard. All the blade colors from Fallen Order are available at the start, with additional colors unlocked in new game plus. Among the many options for your blaster, I rolled with a Dirty Harry-inspired 44 Magnum style. To sum up combat, customization, and exploration in a word, it’s variety. There’s so much fun to be had in your initial playthrough and reason to carry on in the new game plus with additional perks and other surprises unlocked when you reach it.

Old Friends and New

Cal has a complete and seemingly conclusive arc in Fallen Order. I’d struggled to imagine where Respawn could take his character in the sequel. Jedi Survivor begins five years after the events of Fallen Order. Cal’s obsession with doing all he can to put a dent in the Empire’s efforts has been in vain. His old friends have gone their separate ways, and he relies on new allies by working with Saw Gerrera. The opening on Coruscant leads Cal and his new friend Bode Akuna to Koboh, where the stage is set for a surprising narrative.

Respawn’s challenge is writing characters and a story that’s original and compelling that simultaneously fit within the established canon. While Fallen Order focuses primarily on Cal dealing with Empire’s hunt for the remaining Jedi, Jedi Survivor explores characters coping with having their morality tested as they navigate an increasingly hostile galaxy. There’s a ton to spoil, so I’m limiting what to share.

The plot centers around the chase for a hidden planet called Tanalorr, discovered by a pair of High Republic-era Jedi named Dagan Gera and Santari Khri. The planet’s circumstances lead all who know of its existence to pursue it. After completing the story, I mostly enjoyed the return of old characters and the introduction of the new. Everyone involved gives an awesome performance and plays an integral role in the plot. However, a couple of characters are a bit underdeveloped and predictable, and I didn’t find their arcs particularly interesting by the end. There’s also a surprising number of MacGuffins that characters chase throughout, with many back-and-forth treks between planets.

Fortunately, I was never bored. Jedi Survivor succeeds in including characters with relatable motivations. Cal undergoes personal challenges that aren’t uncommon for Star Wars but make sense for the progression of his character. This series will likely become a trilogy, and there’s great potential for what he’ll face next. Every main story mission is outstanding. Gameplay is diverse, and there are some insane set pieces. I’m still loving every minute of the game as I continue exploring after completing the story.

I’m playing the game on PS5 and have good and bad news. The good news is Jedi Survivor usually looks gorgeous. However, there are frequent performance distractions, I once ended up stuck underneath the map, and my game crashed a couple of times. Unfortunately, the game hasn’t performed consistently throughout my review period. Like many recent current-gen games on console, Jedi Survivor features a full-quality 4K 30fps mode and a 1440p performance mode targeting a higher frame rate.

I’m sad to report that the version I’ve played while reviewing never consistently remains at 60fps in performance mode. I understand the necessity of variable frame rates. When I select performance mode on console, I’d be OK with running a game at a drastically reduced resolution if it means I’ll maintain the highest possible frame rate. Jedi Survivor typically hits 60fps in smaller areas but struggles to stay beyond 30 in larger areas. What’s worse is there have been many instances where the game has dropped to the mid to low 20s. The game is still playable, but the constant fluctuation is highly distracting.

I eventually opted for quality mode in the hope of maintaining a consistent frame rate. While I prefer a minimum of 60fps, I can live with 30fps with just about any genre apart from shooters. The best part is the game looks stunning in 4K and mostly remains at 30fps but also dips below that in some areas. The only planet that struggles significantly is Koboh which is understandable given its scope. There are also a ton of texture pop-ins on Koboh in quality and performance modes.

Can’t Get Enough

The performance struggles haven’t ruined the fun but have been an unfortunate distraction. To end on a high note, Respawn has taken full advantage of the Dualsense controller. Combat and traversal are amplified by all they’ve applied to it. There are also some funny and creative trophies to unlock that I won’t spoil.

Some other positive aspects are all the presentation options. You can alter your field of view and film effects like motion blur, film grain, chromatic aberration, and camera shake. The accessibility options are vast, including an “Arachnophobia Safe Mode” that modifies a creature to look less like an arachnid. It’s both amusing and certainly appreciated by someone out there. The game’s a looker when it’s running at its best. Fans are bound to take advantage of the simple but functional photo mode to share the prettiest views and their finest moments.

Star Wars wouldn’t be nearly as iconic without the music. Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton composed beautiful work for Fallen Order between original tracks and incorporating famous themes. Haab and Barton return for Jedi Survivor and have totally outdone themselves. Their music wonderfully contributes to every moment throughout the game. Alongside the music is the impressive sound design that enhances every presentation aspect.

Jedi Survivor is the definitive Jedi video game experience. As a Star Wars fan, I love it. I imagine it was a lot of fun to develop, and the Jedi Team at Respawn are absolute rockstars for what they’ve achieved. I’m confident the performance hiccups on PS5 will be resolved. Apart from that, I can’t get enough of the game. I’m actively finishing my initial playthrough and am stoked to jump into new game plus. 

Stay tuned to COGconnected for more Jedi Survivor content coming soon.

***PS5 review code provided by EA***

The post Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review – Impressive… MOST Impressive appeared first on COGconnected.

Courtesy of EA, we flew to Los Angles to go hands-on with Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. I’m happy to report it’s the epitome of the “bigger and better” sequel. Fallen Order was an excellent debut to an all-new Jedi adventure, and Jedi Survivor builds upon and improves what worked in every way. 

Gameplay picks up an hour into the game on Koboh, a cavernous planet with dusty cliffs, lush fields, waterfalls, and caves. It’s also the new home of Greez Dritus. Cal and BD-1 make a rough landing in the Mantis and embark on a treacherous journey to find Greez and acquire the parts they need to repair their ship and carry on. What’s immediately noticeable is the planet’s scale. You can scout the area and mark points of interest using BD’s Visor. The holomap is also a noticeable improvement. It clearly presents everything currently accessible. I most appreciate that it leaves a trail behind as you progress, making it easy to determine your exact location or backtrack.

Respawn excels in designing remarkably smooth traversal. Cal Kestis feels like butter as you sprint, Jedi flip, wall run, and shimmy all over structures. Jedi Survivor joins the grapple hook renaissance with Cal’s new Ascension Cable. It latches onto and zips him toward various points in environments. You can speak to inhabitants all over Koboh that present you with “rumors.” They’re essentially single objectives that lead to discoveries, collectibles, and combat encounters. A new faction called The Bedlam Raiders is causing trouble on Koboh, and I enjoy cutting through them as I explore. 

Cal Ketis, Jedi Knight

Combat introduces the new stance system. In Fallen Order, I like how the blade styles are mainly intended to deal with particular enemies. With the new stance system, there are significant skill trees for each of the five, including Single, Double-bladed, Dual Wield, Crossguard, and Blaster. While each stance fits particular scenarios, you aren’t forced to use them. Sitting down with Design Director Jeff Magers and Senior Producer Blair Brown, I learned you’re free to use one stance exclusively from beginning to end. 

The game limits you to equipping two stances at a time, but you can swap them out at any meditation spot while exploring. You can seamlessly switch between them during combat. It’s a lot of fun to carve through a crowd with a double-blade and immediately follow it up with some dual-wield carnage. Jedi Survivor includes some incredible new finisher animations that are brutal and satisfying. Thankfully, Cal isn’t stripped of his abilities at the start of the game. Force push and pull return alongside the new Force Confusion and Tame.

New Moves

Confusion briefly turns enemies against each other, while tame enables Cal to mount creatures for more efficient navigation. Additionally, a perk system has been implemented that drastically affects your playstyle. Throughout my playtime, I had a ton of fun with combat. Between fighting the empire, droids, and wildlife, combat encounters have the potential to be endlessly fresh with all the depth at your disposal. 

At the end of our session, Design Director Jason De Heras gave us an unbelievable demonstration of max-level combat. While the flurry of rad animations was impressive as he slashed through waves of stormtroopers, the blaster stance was the major crowd-pleaser. We weren’t provided details on its functionality, but it seems to auto-aim as you fire shots between saber swings. There also appears to be an ability that fires a homing missile-like shot that ricochets between multiple enemies. At one point, he used a force ability to levitate several enemies and began marking them like Dead Eye straight out of Red Dead Redemption. While it’s admittedly familiar, it’s undeniably cool. During the fight, he was also dashing through the air. I assume they call it something like “Jedi Dash,” which will contribute to traversal throughout the game. 

Puzzle It Out

Along the journey to Greez, you interact with the environment in multiple ways, like using explosive ball droids to destroy walls and using the force to terraform cliffs. I love the emphasis on physics. It’s always fun to feel like you’re fully in control of the objects you manipulate. That’s most prevalent in the new puzzle rooms called “Jedi Chambers.” They’re akin to puzzles in another popular game. Jedi Chambers are well adapted to Jedi Survivor. They have their own identity between force powers and Jedi lore. I only experienced two, and they both use the force to move and toss balls into various pedestals that create bridges for Cal to progress through the chambers. 

Solving them is pretty straightforward. However, I can imagine the potential for more creative and challenging puzzles that may come later. There are collectibles to find throughout. Completing them grants myriad rewards that contribute to level progression. I also stumbled into a “Jedi Tear” that presented a time-sensitive challenge focused solely on platforming. Traversal is one of my favorite gameplay aspects, and I love that I can earn rewards by putting my skills to the test. 

Defending the Galaxy with Style

Respawn has absolutely addressed Fallen Order’s criticism regarding limited customization and cosmetics. There are a ton of clothing options for Cal to discover. You can mix and match shirts, pants, and jackets, change the colors of each, and change Cal’s hair and beard. It’s classically video gamey and hilarious to discover a goatee and mullet in supply crates as if Cal’s wearing wigs and fake mustaches. Jokes aside, the options look great, and it’s cool that you can give Cal many different looks. You can also discover many new parts for BD-1 to drastically alter his appearance. 

As I entered the wild west-inspired town of Rambler’s Reach, I encountered The Bedlam Raiders leader, Rayvis, and threw down with one of his boys. Little is known about Rayvis, but he’s an imposing presence and will undoubtedly play an integral role in the story. Following my tussle in the dirt, I was reunited with Greez. I was introduced to all his cantina has to offer, including a hideout for Cal, a pair of DJs, and new characters that will impact the story and gameplay.

Cal can also tend to a garden that provides valuable materials. I explored as much of Koboh as possible during the remainder of my time playing. Its vastness blows me away, and all there is to discover, collect, and interact with. Seeing as it’s one of the multiple explorable planets in Jedi Survivor, there’s plenty to keep you busy, and I’m glad I can say it’s all a lot of fun so far. 

Thrills Await

We previewed the game on PC. For the most part, Jedi Survivor looks and performs beautifully. However, I did experience multiple frame drops when entering some areas. Fortunately, I never encountered any performance hiccups when it mattered most during combat or platforming. We experienced a work-in-progress build that isn’t representative of the final product. Between now and the release, there’s a strong chance those minor bugs will be patched. 

I can’t reveal details about the story portion of the preview I experienced. I can say another thrilling, high-stakes adventure is in store. Respawn has taken everything they built in Fallen Order to the next level in Jedi Survivor. I had a blast with the few hours I played and can’t wait to experience the entire game. Star Wars: Jedi Survivor launches on April 28th for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC. For more on Jedi Survivor, you can check out the top 5 new things I’m most stoked about.

***Flights, hotel, and access to preview event provided by Electronic Arts***

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EA invited us to a preview event to go hands-on with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. I’m looking forward to many new features following the three hours I spent with the game. Here are the top five new things I’m stoked about most. 

Combat Stances

Due to the five new combat stances, including Single Blade, Double-bladed, Dual Wield, Crossgaurd, and Blaster, combat has significantly more depth and variety. Each stance has its own skill tree with a wide array of abilities. You can equip two stances at a time, seamlessly switch between them during combat, and swap them at any time at mediation spots. While each stance caters to specific combat scenarios, you aren’t forced to use them strictly. You’re free to use one stance for every fight from the beginning to the end of the game if you desire. 

Combat feels intense and responsive, and it’s a lot of fun to be creative with your equipped stances and force powers. Several new finishers are brutal and satisfying to behold. Following the end of my session, Design Director Jason De Heras gave an incredible demonstration of max-level combat. Chaining several abilities together between stances, force powers, and the blaster was exciting. I love that Respawn’s designed a system that encourages experimentation and player creativity.

Perk System

Further enhancing gameplay is the new perk system. While little information is currently known, it appears that you can equip several once. Perks drastically alter your playstyle, further adding to player expression. I always appreciate the Freedom to experiment with gameplay. Combat stances and perks collectively emphasize the expansion of Survivor’s design.

Expanded Exploration

During my session, I explored the planet Koboh. Home to Greez, friendly inhabitants, myriad wildlife and enemies, collectibles, challenges, and secrets to discover. I’m impressed by the scale of Koboh compared to the planets in Fallen Order. It’s easy to get distracted in the best way by interacting with the environment to reach new areas. It’s rewarding to discover something everywhere you explore. Cal’s new Ascension Cable is fun to use as you zip to various points in your environment, and taming creatures to mount enhances traversal. Jedi Chambers and Force Tears are particularly interesting. Chambers present you with physics-based puzzles to solve, while Tears put your traversal skills to the test. My hands-on time was short, and it’s a good sign that I’m eager to continue exploring what I left uncovered on Koboh and beyond. 

More Customization

Cal can have many different looks in Survivor. You can mix and match his shirt, pants, and jacket, change the colors of each, and change his hair and beard. Finding new hairstyles and hairdos in supply crates is funny, but it’s a feature I’m glad is present. You can purchase more cosmetics with Priorite Shards from Doma Dendra in Rambler’s Reach on Koboh. BD-1’s appearance can also be significantly altered with multiple parts and color combinations. It’s awesome to see Respawn answer Fallen Order’s limited customization with a ton of player expression in Survivor.

New Characters

I can’t share specifics on a few new characters introduced during my session, but those being saved for the finished game are all individually interesting and will undoubtedly contribute much to the story. I rescued a Kermit the Frog-looking alien named Turgle from the clutches of The Bedlam Raiders. We only exchanged a few words, but he seems like a funny and charming fella. MXNK-6 is the droid bartender of Greez’s cantina and has a lovable, deadpan, dry sense of humor. One mysterious character with the likeness of Cad Bane keeps to herself in the cantina. She demands I get out of her face, but I get the feeling we’re gonna be friends. 

These five things merely scratch the surface of what I experienced during my hands-on time. For an extended look, you can read my full preview. Survivor is seemingly a bigger and better sequel in every way. I’m looking forward to experiencing the entire game. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor launches on April 28th for PS5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC.

***Flights, hotel, and access to preview event provided by Electronic Arts***

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I was fortunate enough to attend the PGA Tour 2K23 preview event at the illustrious East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia. Being a local, the mere five-mile commute to the club made a lovely start to a memorable day. I got to go hands-on with a preview build of the game, speak with the Franchise Manager at HB Studios, Shaun West, and meet Shooter McGavin himself, Christopher McDonald. 

I deeply respect golf, but I’m a disgrace on the course. I’ve spent more time with Mario Golf over the years than with the simulation-style mechanics in PGA Tour 2K. Suffice it to say, the first several minutes I spent hands-on resulted in bunker shots and quadruple bogeys. I found the courage within and preserved it to properly handle 2K23’s default stick swing mechanic. 2K23 features the deep mechanics fans recognize but notably features a new 3-click swing option. 

More Accessibility

The 3-click swing is a mechanic in golf games of old but brand new to 2K. It also took some getting used to, but it’s a fantastic addition that provides players with a more accessible means of swinging the club. It also feels like a fun mini-game every time you swing, which is an added bonus. 

Tiger Woods has arrived in 2K along with many playable pros. Their in-game appearances aren’t flawless, but they’re pretty close, and it’s generally great to see them. Licensed courses include Wellington Country Club, Saint Georges Country Club, Renaissance, and Atlanta’s own East Lake. It was a bit surreal to play on an accurate East Lake in-game while sitting alongside the 18th hole in reality. 

MyPLAYERS and MyCAREER have returned, and HP promises more depth and customization than ever before between cosmetics and golf clubs. Some cool arcade-style modes like Top Golf can also be played solo or with teams locally or online. I didn’t experience any modes outside the standard stroke format, but I’m looking forward to giving the others a shot. I’m particularly interested in the Course Designer featuring loads of options to forge the golf course of your dreams. 

I had a great time with PGA Tour 2K23. It’s designed to cater to players with varying preferences and is seemingly doing an excellent job. PGA Tour 2K Deluxe Edition and Tiger Woods Edition are releasing on October 11th, with the standard edition launching on October 14th, all for Xbox X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, and Steam. 

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Metal Hellsinger, from developer The Outsiders, beckons FPS fans and metalheads alike. Sound familiar? With Metal Hellsinger, The Outsiders have unashamedly paid homage to iD Software’s Doom Eternal in almost every aspect, albeit with the added twist of killing to a beat. Rhythm shooters are a recent niche with which I’ve admittedly spent little time. Metal Hellsinger immediately informed me that I’ve been missing out. In laymen’s terms, it kicks ass.

You inhabit the role of “The Unknown,” a demon gunslinger on a quest to reclaim his stolen voice from the ruler of the Hells, the Red Judge. Between you and the demonic thief stands an army of hellspawn intended on tearing you to shreds. Fortunately, you’re granted an array of hell’s finest firearms to end them to the tune of ripping guitar solos and breakdowns. 

In the demo, I got my hands on the sword, flame-spewing skull, shotgun, and dual hand cannons. I spent the least time with the sword and skull, but each weapon caters well to particular enemies and environments. The BPM of each level’s song is displayed across your crosshairs, assisting you in aligning your trigger pulls to the beat. Once you get into the groove, it’s a lot of fun to feel one with the song as you shoot, reload, dodge, and perform finishing moves on enemies. Enemy variety is relatively diverse from start to finish of the demo level, offering interesting encounters up until the boss who challenges you to combine all you’ve learned up until that point. The final game will feature eight total levels, with replayability encouraged by multiple difficulty levels and a challenge mode with leaderboards. 

Adaptive Tunes

One of my favorite aspects is how the intro, verses, choruses, bridge, and outro transition based on which portion of the level you’re in. It’s also sick how the music adapts and gets heavier when you perform well. The song in the demo features Alissa White-Gluz of Arch enemy on vocals with music by Two feathers. It slaps. I’m stoked to hear other tunes with artists like Randy Blythe from Lamb of God and Serj Tankian of System of a Down. The main cast includes Troy Baker as The Unknown, a demon with Joel Miller’s voice, and Jennifer Hale. 

The performance is a bit underwhelming. Shooters generally require a stable frame rate, but it’s especially critical in a Rhythm game. I play on a pretty powerful PC and regularly experience frame drops. I tried a run on significantly lower settings with a minimal performance improvement. The Outsiders have expressed that the demo is not the finished product. It’s safe to expect performance to become more stable between now and its undetermined 2022 release. 

Metal Hellsinger’s one demo level has excited me for the remaining seven. I’d chalk it up to a Doom ripoff if the rhythm mechanic was absent. However, The Outsiders have poured a lot of heart into this project. It’s bound to impress fans of similar games when it launches on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC this year. 

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Halo fans, myself included, have eagerly and sometimes impatiently awaited the arrival of Halo Infinite. 343 have finally delivered the follow-up to Halo 5: Guardians more than six years later. At this point, many are relatively aware of the immense, time-consuming challenges development studios face when creating massive AAA projects. While little is known of what occurred behind the scenes during these last six years, it’s evident that the direction shifted significantly at 343. Having played the entirety of Infinite’s campaign and spending nearly sixty hours across flights and the current state of multiplayer, I strongly believe the game could’ve used more time in development. Development is ongoing, but I’d have much preferred a more complete package on day one.

I must preface that there’s much I love about Halo Infinite. The years 343 have invested are not in vain. Infinite is unequivocally the best core gameplay experience I’ve had since Halo 3. Gunplay has never felt better. Weapon balance isn’t perfect, but great at launch, most of the new weapons introduced are fantastic, and the new equipment has capitalized on the sandbox and player creativity remarkably. Halo Infinite is downright fun to play. I’m utterly addicted to the multiplayer despite its awful progression system and lack of content. Master Chief’s latest fight with alien adversaries also successfully brings some fantastic new ideas to the franchise.

Halo Infinite’s story is a predictable mystery. The unraveling of events may not be as apparent to some, but if you’ve invested a fair amount of time into this franchise over the last 20 years, you’ll have it all figured out before the halfway point. That isn’t to say there aren’t some thrilling sequences, and the moment-to-moment experience across the open world is outstanding. While I believe Infinite relies a bit too heavily on nostalgia, Master Chief’s adventure across Zeta Halo is an impressive blend of the new and familiar. 

Building a Mystery

Beckoning memories of Halo 2, Infinite’s opening is intense, tragic, and beautiful. Eighteen months after Halo 5, the USNC Infinity is attacked and totally destroyed by a new, Brute-led faction called the Banished. Hope is seemingly lost as remaining human forces crash land onto Zeta Halo, and the Master Chief is tossed into deep space. Six months later, a lone pilot rescues Chief and wakes him up aboard his pelican. Shortly after, the small craft is abducted by Banished forces, creating the perfect scenario for Chief to save the day. 

Infinite’s two opening linear missions are a lot of fun and quickly introduce your new foes and mechanics. Once you step foot onto Zeta Halo, the campaign begins to shine. Infinite features an open-world playground rife with Banished forces. 

Through completing side missions, you’re rewarded Valor which marks your progress and unlocks new tools to wage against the Banished. You can create your desired loadout and fast travel between captured FOBs at any given time. Infinite encourages experimentation and player freedom through the arsenal of weapons, vehicles, and equipment. I’ve had a blast mixing up my loadouts, piling five marines into a Razorback, and blazing into Banished bases to unleash hell. 

You can choose how to approach every scenario. Whether that’s sniping from afar or destroying everything in a Scorpion. Shooting the many enemy types in Infinite never gets old. There isn’t a singular way to kill any enemy, and along with factoring in the variety of ways to use your equipment, battles are endlessly fun. 

Toward the end of the game, some of the side missions begin to feel a little repetitive. Banished bases are fun to conquer. They’re all laid out differently, but there are only a few different objectives across them all. I love the inclusion of High Value Targets. They serve as mini boss battles and carry rare weapon variants. There are some useful ones like a Skewer with explosive spikes, the old lock-on rocket launcher, and others with faster rates of fire compared to their regular counterparts. Aesthetically, they look exactly the same, only they’re all painted white. Different colors or Banished trinkets akin to rare weapons in Destiny would’ve given them more character. UNSC weapon variants are unlocked as you increase Valor, most of which feature interesting changes like a long-ranged AR, a BR with a faster fire rate, and a sniper with a larger mag and reticle. I would’ve preferred for more legacy weapons to return in Infinite’s campaign, but these variants are still fun ways to mix up gunplay. 

Capturing Forward Operating Bases reveals all the points of interest in the surrounding area aside from Skulls. The TACMAP functions well and is helpful in finding what you’re looking for, but it primarily equates to working through a checklist like any other familiar open-world game. However, there were moments I stumbled upon a new cosmetic item for multiplayer or groups of endangered marines that resulted in more memorable gameplay experiences. 

Halo A.I. has always been excellent, and that reputation remains in Infinite. Enemies react accordingly to your actions, and each type presents specific challenges in firefights. Although, Marine A.I. can be hilarious. They’re mostly functional and are actually capable of surviving big battles. However, unless I physically move them out of the way, they get crushed and die every time I call in a vehicle at a FOB. It’s probably a minor glitch that needs to be polished, but I hope it doesn’t change. It doesn’t affect gameplay, and it’s funny every time.

While I intend to play again on Legendary, my first run was on Normal. It was as moderately challenging as I’d anticipated, but I could sense that the campaign can be best experienced on Heroic or Legendary. The higher difficulties will undoubtedly give more incentive to your equipment, notably the Drop Wall and Threat Sensor. Fortunately, the complete equipment arsenal is unlocked through the first few main missions. Each piece is upgraded with Spartan Cores scattered around the world. As cliche as collecting items for upgrades can be, I enjoyed seeing more of the world as I went after them. 

Game-Changing Grapple

Every upgrade provides a significant advantage in combat, but none compare to the grapple. It’s a literal game-changer, and I can’t imagine playing future Halo games without it. It’s made for the freshest and most exciting gameplay addition in franchise history between grappling terrain for traversal, highjacking vehicles, and grabbing weapons and equipment from afar. The First Strike power kick upgrade is particularly badass, and I also can’t express how satisfying it is to grapple and throw fusion coils. 

Zeta Halo itself is gorgeous. The ring is packed with stunning views and settings between mountains, valleys, vast fields, rivers, lakes, and caves. Before release, I’d hoped to see multiple biomes like deserts, snow, or a more tropical area, but Infinite sticks to a Pacific Northwest setting akin to Halo 1. Narratively, it makes sense, given you’re exploring a chunk of a massive ring. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for story DLC in the future that could lead to other diverse areas. 

Whether on foot or by vehicle, all of it is fun to traverse. There aren’t any invisible barriers. You’re free to explore every inch of what 343 has created. There’s always something to shoot at, and the multiple objectives and collectibles keep you busy. The excellent score of both classic and new tracks powerfully enhance quiet, haunting, and explosive moments. Zeta Halo evokes how I felt crash landing onto Halo in Combat Evolved. The sense of the world’s mystery and wonder is present throughout. 

Having been a fan since the franchise’s debut, it’s an awesome feeling to have the idea of freely exploring a giant ring world realized. Fast travel’s a much appreciated feature, but it feels a little dated in Infinite. Load times are a bit lengthy. They may vary depending on your hardware, but I play on a relatively powerful PC and often wait nearly thirty seconds to bounce between areas of the map. Load times have generally improved in many open world games with the onset of this generation. Infinite’s currently behind in that regard. Overall, the open-world aspect of Halo Infinite is a bold, successful, and fun new addition. However, I find the story to be disappointing. 

Every review is subjective, but this portion of my own is the most personal. Halo Infinite isn’t poorly written; it just feels like a mix of familiar tropes and uninspired characters with a dash of backpedaling. I’m not going to compare 343’s stories to Bungie’s. To a degree, I have enjoyed aspects of Halo 4 and 5’s campaigns, but neither has impacted me emotionally in the ways that both Halo 2 and 3 have. 

Suffice it to say, I haven’t been heavily invested in the narrative 343 has written since 2012. Don’t get me wrong, I was stoked out of my mind for the release of Halo 4. However, my interest in the narrative dwindled by the end. While I’ve always loved Chief and Cortana’s relationship, I’ve admired it as an aspect, not as the focus. My outlook on the narrative up until this point is harsh, but I am an optimist at heart. I disliked Halo 5’s story. However, going into Infinite, I was excited to see what was next. 

The trilogy of 343’s Halo games reminds me much of the most recent Star Wars trilogy. It feels disjointed as if the narrative arc was determined in real-time rather than carefully planned in the beginning. I’m not a narrative writer, and I can’t begin to fathom what it’s like to write a video game, much less a trilogy, but this tale makes for a safe and underwhelming conclusion. 

Disengage Soldier

Halo Infinite’s primary theme seems to be about identity. It’s about what makes each character who they are and the events that motivate their actions. While the arcs for each of the characters work, it’s all too familiar. Most of the supporting characters are one-note. Unfortunately, the pilot is the tense and timid companion initially seen in the game’s reveal throughout most of the story. Like Chief, I feel compassion for the guy, but his fear of the situation overstays its welcome. The Banished leader’s motivation to conquer Zeta Halo is understandable, but his generic pride and rage leave no room for nuance, resulting in a rather disengaging opponent. Other classic enemies and an “even greater threat” are suggested throughout the story but never explored. Unless 343 are saving them for future DLC, their mere tease is disappointing. 

There’s also an odd dichotomy between the story and gameplay. The sense of scale in the open world feels vast, but the narrative feels smaller and more personal. I love intimate stories with smaller casts, which works in Infinite. I think I just miss prominent personalities like Captain Keyes and Sergeant Johnson. Obviously, they’re gone, but characters of their nature have always juxtaposed Chief in great ways.

As much as I appreciate and regularly quote Chief’s iconic one-liners like “I need a weapon” and “Finish the fight,” their inclusion in Infinite honestly feels derivative. I’m down for fan service, and I definitely felt a swell of emotion hearing Steve Downes utter them again, but they’re sort of cheap tricks induced by nostalgia. However, Chief does have a lot of badass new dialogue, and his demeanor in Infinite is much more in line with his presence in the original trilogy. I believe it’s Steve’s best performance to date as he rides the line of stoic and vulnerable spectacularly. 

Fortunately and most importantly, 343 have nailed the dynamic between Chief and his new A.I. companion code-named “The Weapon.” The Weapon resembles Cortana but is more happy-go-lucky and naive than Chief’s former companion. She’s also voiced by Jen Taylor, adding to the familiar nature between the two. Witnessing them get to know one another as they navigate the ring and fight back against the Banished is endearing and enjoyable. The campaign’s presentation is also impressively cinematic. Gameplay transitions seamlessly into cutscenes as 343 have opted for a one-take style camera movement like the recent God of War. It’s well implemented but often interrupted by loading screens between the open world and interior locations where most of the main missions occur. 

343 are insanely talented. While I don’t love Infinite’s story, I don’t believe it’s objectively bad. There are bound to be Halo fans that love it. If I suspend my gripes, and frankly, my bias, Halo Infinite is a fun adventure that genuinely makes you feel heroic. That’s ultimately all I can ask for in a Master Chief story. 

In terms of gameplay, the majority of the linear missions equate to destroying big targets or running through linear forerunner facilities. If a player intends on forgoing the open-world activities and blazing through the main missions exclusively, I imagine they’ll feel let down. While I love the open-world addition to Infinite, it doesn’t necessarily benefit the narrative. It’s essentially filler content between the less exciting missions that further the plot. Infinite’s campaign is never boring to play, but while the open-world gameplay excels, the more traditional main mission structure is underwhelming. 

Performance is predominately strong from beginning to end. I’ve experienced very few frame drops, and I’ve only had the game crash twice at a particular Banished base. There’s quite a lot of texture and terrain pop in when flying high across the map. Most of my visual settings are set at ultra, but some are set at high or medium. The pop-ins may be a result of that.

I Miss My Buddy

I can only imagine the difficulty 343’s facing in developing campaign co-op. Its absence will be sorely missed at launch, as conquering Zeta Halo with a friend is going to be amazing. The thought of flying a Wasp while a buddy drives a Scorpion into a Banished base equipped with grapple hooks and an assortment of weapons will inevitably lead to chaos in all the best ways.

On the other hand, Infinite’s multiplayer is incredible but in a concerning predicament. A slew of issues plagues an otherwise exceptional core gameplay experience within a free-to-play model. Currently, the state of multiplayer has the Halo community confused. Much of the multiplayer goes directly against the series’ tradition, with the only benefit being its availability to the masses.

Fan favorite game modes, notably Slayer, are missing at launch. The game is in dire need of more content, especially with the long delay of Forge. Halo has long thrived on community-created content, and its absence at launch is sorely missed. Fortunately, 343 recently announced they’re adding Fiesta, SWAT, and Free-For-All before the end of this year. It’s reassuring because fans and myself were concerned that other beloved game modes would be tied exclusively to timed events like Fiesta.

I’m not opposed to a battle pass system, especially one that never expires after purchasing it. I only wish armor sets and coatings were unlocked through specific objectives in both campaign and multiplayer. Fortunately, there’s plenty to unlock through Infinite’s campaign, but it only requires going to the markers on your map and grabbing them. I believe this is where challenges can greatly benefit multiplayer. 

Thankfully, 343 have already drastically accelerated the rate at which players rank up the battle pass through general experience granted match to match. I’d much prefer a more traditional progression system that awards experienced based on individual performance with challenges serving as a means of expediting it.

The prices of everything available in the shop are wild. Prices are certainly subjective, but I’d be more inclined to spend $20 collectively on three or four coatings rather than it be the total price of one. There’s a lot of potential with the shop. I believe it’s possible to maintain free-to-play Halo multiplayer, but many changes to the progression system, additional modes, and playlists are necessary to maintain it long-term. 

The arena maps are all equally outstanding. There are plenty of varying layouts, settings, and biomes to keep things interesting match to match. Meanwhile, the BTB maps aren’t as exciting. They’re all fun to play on, but they look nearly identical. I’d love to see more atheistically diverse maps in the future.

Theater mode and custom games are currently struggling as well. Frame drops and other visual glitches perpetuate playback, and the theater HUD remains on screen if you choose to display your player HUD. It’s a surprising error that shouldn’t be present given how long theater mode has existed. Many regular features of custom games are missing. Most notably, the ability to spawn with random weapons, the options to save created modes, and more. 

Sadly, more and more cheaters are popping up in multiplayer. 343 were aware of the possibility with a free-to-play model and the inclusion of crossplay. There’s plenty of evidence online, and I have definitely encountered a few myself. I consider myself to be a competent Halo player. I’d rather play well and lose every match fairly than lose to a cheater. It’s unacceptable and a common tragedy of modern multiplayer shooters. We can only hope 343 implements an effective anti-cheat system shortly, as well as an in-game report system.

Accessibility is King

On the bright side, Halo multiplayer is more accessible than ever, resulting in fast and guaranteed matchmaking. It’s also a lot of fun to watch. Halo pros are already establishing a unique meta through the game’s smooth traversal. Jumping, sliding, and incorporating the grapple and repulsor make for crazy plays. It’s gonna be cool to see what players pull off over time. 

Another brilliant addition are the bots, gun range, and training mode. Bots will never perform exactly like actual players, but they’re impressive and serve as a great way to warm up in training mode before jumping into multiplayer. 343 have shared they intend on adding more weapons to the game over time, and the gun range is perfect for getting a feel for them. 

I’ve played the game on controller and mouse and keyboard extensively. Both function beautifully, and 343 have provided the means of mapping your key binds and button mapping to your preference. They’ve also included exceptional accessibility features such as UI narration and visual options like enemy and friendly UI colors. A major option I love is the ability to offset your weapons. I don’t mind their default state, but having the choice to shift them up, down, left, or right is an excellent quality of life feature. 

Infinite’s presentation is pretty stellar between character models, weapons, and environments. There are only a few odd visual aspects present. Most notable is the character lip sync. The animations are strong, but they playback in a slower framerate than the rest of the game. On PC, I maintain around 75-90fps. Meanwhile, characters’ mouths animate somewhere around 30. It isn’t game-breaking, but it’s admittedly a distracting hiccup. 

Lighting’s hit or miss. There are moments, usually around sunrise and sunset, where the game is stunning. Nighttime is quite lovely as well. However, midday tends to look a little flat. I trust it’s rather complex to properly light a ring world with a real-time day and night lighting cycle. Digital Foundry does an excellent job describing these aspects in their Infinite breakdowns. Neither negatively affects gameplay, but they prevent Infinite from being a significant visual standout

For the most part, audio is killer. 343 has shared the work they’ve put into the sound design years before launch. Guns, grenades, melee, general physical movements, and environments sound incredible. Firing weapons in campaign sound particularly impressive in the wide-open world. Major standouts are the various satisfying jingles that play every time you complete an objective. I think they may be the best jingles since any Zelda game. I love them so much. 

I want to highlight other performances in the A.I. Listening to grunts, jackals, elites, and brutes talk to each other is really entertaining. They’ll argue, talk about you, and appropriately react to your actions. Hearing a grunt scream at you to not kill the grunts or having a brute say something like “Show me why the covenant called you their demon!” is so sick. Your fellow Marines are also hilarious and ready for a fight. They remind me much of their demeanor in Halo 1, and I’ve loved rescuing and fighting alongside them on Zeta Halo. I can’t applaud the audio team and writers enough for their work. 

Teamwork Makes The Dream Work

There’s one massive issue hindering the entire gameplay experience. You cannot fully hear anything happening behind you in both campaign and multiplayer. I’ve lost count of the number of times this glitch has gotten me killed in both experiences. I wear an excellent pair of headphones. I’ve tried altering every audio setting there is, and nothing has solved it. Many players have voiced the same complaint online. This probably sounds ridiculous, but I don’t think enemy A.I. can hear anything behind them either. I have a clip of me flying a Wasp at ground level directly behind a jackal until a grunt nearby finally saw me. I can’t believe it hasn’t been resolved during development, especially after multiple flights leading to launch.

Fortunately, 343 are passionate about the Halo community and are the best at redemption. Halo 4 and 5 aren’t generally beloved by all, but 343 never gave up on refining both titles over time. In my eyes, the Master Chief Collection team are heroes for what they’ve achieved since it launched in 2014. Halo Infinite’s gameplay is the best the franchise has been in a long time. 343 plans to support this game over the next ten years, and it has unlimited potential to be one of the all-time great multiplayer experiences.

I’ve shared many gripes I have with Halo Infinite. I’ve shared them meticulously because I love this franchise and want it to continue succeeding. Beyond them all, I absolutely love playing it. The campaign’s open-world gameplay is phenomenal, and I can’t wait to play through it again on legendary, especially with a friend in the future. Despite my disappointment in the narrative, the lead performances are strong, and the presentation is cinematic. I’ve been playing Halo multiplayer with my friends for nearly twenty years. We’ve kept up with the Master Chief Collection over the years, but Infinite is the most addicted we’ve been in a long time. It’s far from perfect, but I can’t wait to see how Halo Infinite evolves over the coming months and years.

***PC code provided by the publisher***

The post Halo Infinite Review – Incredible But Tragic appeared first on COGconnected.

Another year, another Call of Duty. Sledgehammer Games are back behind the wheel and once again steering us toward the long-treaded WWII era. While us seasoned COD veterans are familiar with the setting, the studio’s approach with Call of Duty: Vanguard is full of new ideas we’re anticipating.

Here are five things about Vanguard I’m looking forward to:

1. Story and Characters

Multiplayer is COD’s bread and butter, but I’m a fan who looks forward to an adrenaline-fueled blockbuster campaign every year. In Sledgehammer’s words, Vanguard features a fictional tale with characters that are “historically inspired, but not beholden.” It focuses on the birth of special forces across every allied nation during WWII, guaranteeing high-stakes missions not typically explored in previous entries.

Each role you inhabit is intended to be well realized between backstories, motivations, animation, and visual fidelity. The one mission we witnessed involved an American paratrooper dropping into France the night before D-Day. He made his way through an extended stealth sequence involving woods, fields, a dilapidated town, and it resolved in a classic firefight.

Collectively, the characters are pursuing Nazi Germany’s secret project codenamed “Phoenix,” led by the fictional Heinrich Freisnger, leader of the Gestapo and member of Hilter’s inner circle. The campaign doesn’t feature co-op, as Sledgehammer designed the game to focus solely on the individuals highlighted across each special force.

2. New Multiplayer Features

Miraculously, after 18 years, Call of Duty developers are still implementing new ideas into multiplayer. Vanguard features new mobility mechanics, specifically the ability to slide your weapon across surfaces once you’ve mounted it for cover. Maps now feature destructible areas, including walls and floors intended to give players a tactical advantage, and Gunsmith is returning with the inclusion of custom ballistics and ammo types. While all of these features have been present in other shooters, they’re undoubtedly healthy additions to COD’s ecosystem.

Multiplayer also enables players to choose their preferred combat pacing such as tactical, standard, and blitz, which significantly alter the flow and speed of gameplay. There will be 20 maps and multiple new modes at launch, but most interestingly, Champion Hill. The specific details are still under wraps, but it’s being touted as “Battle Royale meets Gunfight.” I’m into Battle Royale, and I’m a massive fan of gunfight. The idea of blending them inspires a lot of hype.

3. Zombies

Few details were shared on what to expect from Zombies, but Sledgehammer shared that Treyarch is leading development on a prequel story to Cold War’s zombie narrative. Zombies are always a good time, so I trust there’s much to look forward to there as well.

4. Warzone 

While Warzone is seemingly plagued indefinitely by cheaters, Sledgehammer, along with the other Call of Duty studios, are finalizing a new anti-cheat system that will be implemented with the launch of Vanguard. Vanguard’s likeness, including characters, weapons, and more, will be implemented into Warzone on day one of release.

Also, expect a new map post-launch. That is outstanding news as I am ready for a new battle royale map.

5. Graphics and Audio

Modern Warfare’s engine has clearly had some upgrades. Vanguard is the first Call of Duty in years that has visually astounded me. Mind you, I watched gameplay through a Zoom stream, and it still blew my mind. Textures, lighting, and reactive environments to weather, hazards, characters, and gunfire are gorgeous. Further enhancing the visuals is the remarkably mixed sound design and score.

Excellent sound design has long been present in Call of Duty, and it’s in no short supply in Vanguard. Guns, explosions, kills, and environments sound crisp, guttural, and brutal. I also found myself emotionally moved by some of the orchestral score throughout the presentation, notably during the campaign demo. I rarely notice the music in Call of Duty games, but its collection of dreadful drones, nail-biting staccato sequences, and heroic melodies evoked various feelings that I’m sure will boost the gameplay experience.

While we’ve only witnessed a glimpse of the final package, Vanguard looks excellent and promises several new features that seemingly set it apart from those that came before.

For more on Call of Duty: Vanguard, stay tuned to COGconnected.

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The post Call of Duty: Vanguard Looks Gorgeous – 5 Features I Absolutely Love appeared first on COGconnected.

I’ve adored my Razer Huntsman Opto-Mechanical Elite keyboard for the last two years. It’s unequivocally the best keyboard I’ve ever used. My tendency to swing my mouse wide while playing shooters has increased significantly throughout my PC gaming life. As a result, I’d considered picking up a 60% form factor keyboard. The Razer Huntsman Mini provides the best of both worlds with improved optical switches, an additional 40% of mouse freedom, and much more.

The Huntsman Mini is downright sexy. The minimalist nature of its design looks sleek among any rig, and, fortunately, it packs all the Razer punch I’ve come to expect. The Mini features Razer’s Clicky Optical or 2nd Gen Linear Optical switches that function as responsively as the former with drastically reduced acoustics. While the Huntsman Elite’s clicks and clacks were unnoticeable while wearing headphones, my friends and family would regularly joke about how obnoxious they were. The Mini’s sound reduction is achieved by silicone strips and additional lubricant, resulting in quieter, lighting fast clacks.

Razer’s textured Doubleshot PBT Keycaps return with the Mini and sport side printed secondary functions. I rarely need to use secondary functions, but accessing them is a breeze by holding the fn key. The standard bottom row remains, enabling you to customize your keycaps with third-party sets. It’s another feature I don’t intend to take advantage of, but it’s an excellent inclusion. 

I’m a simple man. I prefer standard keybinds and static lighting. If I ever choose to switch things up, I can access five stock profiles on-board the Mini. Better yet, they’re easily accessible by pressing the fn + menu key. Unfortunately, you can’t save your custom RGB settings on-board the Mini. They can only be accessed via the Razer Synapse Cloud upon signing in on any rig. Sadly, I’ll never be a pro gamer. I’ll never have a reason to travel with my keyboard, but it’s a downer for those intending to take it on the go. As always, you can save infinite custom lighting settings to your heart’s content on Synapse.

Choose Your Clack

One of the most admirable features is the detachable USB-C cable. The Mini’s slot is non-proprietary, allowing you to use any USB-C cable you prefer. It’s also aesthetically pleasing, contributing to the Mini’s elegance. Speaking of appearance, the Mini’s available in both Black and Mercury (white) variants and you can choose between Clicky Optical switches or Linear Optical. I reviewed the Clicky Optical, and I’m happy to report they’re exceptional.

I love the Mini. I’ve spent several hours putting it to use across Modern Warfare, Hunt: Showdown, and Halo 3. Razer’s quality craftsmanship continues to shine. It’s compact, remarkably responsive, quiet, and beautifully designed. Whether you’re considering upgrading your 60% form factor keyboard or picking one up for the first time, you can’t go wrong with the Huntsman Mini, especially if you’re a fan of Razer peripherals. For my thoughts on the Huntsman Opto-Mechanical Elite, you can read my review here. 

***Huntsman Mini Keyboard provided by Razer for review***

The post Razer Huntsman Mini Keyboard Review – Compact, Elegant, Razer Excellence appeared first on COGconnected.

The Quantum One headset from JBL is, and I can’t stress this enough, genuinely phenomenal. The comfort, design, adjustable parameters, and tremendous quality of audio culminate into being quite possibly the best I’ve ever experienced.

Akin to many headsets on the market today, the Quantum Ones extend far beyond the range of human hearing with a 20hz-40khz frequency response. While presentation ultimately relies on the developer, you won’t miss a single audible nuance thanks to the 50mm dynamic drivers packed into these bad boys. Within the intuitive QuantumENGINE, you’re able to customize driver equalization, mic settings, spatial sound modes, and lighting. I’ve taken advantage of each while testing the headset across several games.

There are many games with impressive audio, but none compare to the integrity of Modern Warfare 2019. I can’t imagine a better way to experience the game’s killer sound design than with this headset. Naturally, I felt inclined to crank the volume to a deafening level to embrace the soundscape of war. Every round fired, explosion, and VTOL jet flying overhead packs incredible punch and clarity. These cans live up to the tagline ‘Sound is Survival’ as they saved my life on several occasions due to the remarkable DTS Headphone mode. The 7.1 surround sound is unlike any I’ve experienced before, and I’m sure I had an advantage over opposing players. With this technology, you can practically feel the intensity and distance between you and everything within the game world, especially with active noise canceling enabled.

Almost Perfect

The Quantum Ones even shine in standard stereo mode. It’s not ideal for competitive gaming, but they’re outstanding for listening to music. I’m not entirely fond of the QuantumSPHERE 360 option. The proprietary 3D mode is intended to provide competitive gamers with “next generation immersion and accuracy,” but I believe it’s inferior to the DTS mode. It’s undeniably impressive, as it sort of sounds like you’re in a spacious theater, but audio sounds relatively distant as a result. The mode utilizes head tracking and even takes your head diameter and body height into account. I understand the necessity for head tracking in VR games, but it doesn’t make sense for traditional experiences because there’s no reason to turn your head away from the screen. This technology has incredible potential, but it’s currently my least favorite aspect.

The ten band equalizer provides total control over presentation. The flat EQ is excellent on its own, but you’re able to save your own adjustments or choose between several preset options like bass boost, FPS, and long session. The detachable unidirectional boom mic features a 100hz-10khz frequency response, and according to my friends on Discord, it sounds crystal clear. I appreciate the simplicity of the mic’s implementation, but I wish I could further enhance it like the rest of the headset within the Quantum Engine. Options such as EQ, compression, and a noise gate would be ideal additions. The mic feature I most appreciate is sidetone, which feeds back your mic input into the headphones. There’s nothing more frustrating for me than struggling to hear my voice while communicating in competitive games, and sidetone compensates for that. However, active noise canceling is disabled while sidetone is enabled. I don’t mind it at all, as I’m more concerned with being fully immersed in single-player experiences that don’t require the use of a mic.

The Quantum Ones are wired and connect to your console or PC via a USB to USB-C cable. Included on the cable is a game/chat balance dial that functions well. Beyond the technical prowess, the headset’s comfortable for the duration of long game sessions and looks groovy adoring your dome. I’m not a professional gamer, so few people will be able to appreciate the visual presentation I crafted within the lighting parameter of the Quantum Engine. This thing lights up like the Griswold’s house on Christmas Eve. It’s borderline obnoxious, but I love it. You can choose between many presets or adjust the logo, ring, and notch to your preference. I’m a simple man, so I’m rolling with a static blood-red glow to match the entirety of my rig.

Future Proof

Another notable aspect of this exceptional peripheral is its Discord certification. The app instantly recognizes its presence and optimizes your input and output options accordingly. The Quantum series is also the official gaming headset partner of 100 Thieves. I’ll never be a professional gamer, but I can certainly pretend to be one while wearing these.

If I haven’t made it clear, the JBL Quantum One is now my all-time favorite headset. It’s comfortable, stylish, and in my experience, features unrivaled audio quality. The Sphere 360 mode could use some work, and I’d love to possess more control over the mic, but overall it’s a profound technical achievement. The JBL Quantum ONEs are available now for $299.95.

***Quantum ONE headset provided by JBL for review***

The post JBL Quantum ONE Headset Review – A Profound Technical Achievement appeared first on COGconnected.

I’m no diehard fan of the Predator franchise, but I must admit I’ve given thought to the potential of predator video games over the years. While there have been notable attempts between Concrete Jungle and Aliens vs. Predator, there hasn’t been an entry that transcends the IP. Conceptually, Predator: Hunting Grounds is nearly everything I could hope for in a game. It features classic tropes, original sound design, and fun customization. It’s PvPvE 4v1 formula is a brilliant idea and is certainly in the right hands with IllFonic, but it misses the mark in critical areas and is lacking polish throughout.

Here’s the best news: Building your loadout, customizing your gear, predkouring through the jungle, and hunting prey as Predator is as badass as his movie counterpart. Xenomorphs are spooky, The Thing is incredibly grotesque, and the aliens from signs made me s*** my pants, but Predator is undeniably the coolest of them all. The mask, predlocks, plasma caster, gauntlet knives, cloaking, infrared vision, hell, even the fishnets culminate into one gnarly, iconic ugly mother******. 

While it’s far from perfect, I applaud IllFonic for what they’ve achieved mechanically with Hunting Grounds. Fluid parkour through treetops, FPS mechanics, and multiple classes for each side are a demanding leap from their work on Friday The 13th. Everything works, but it’s not all that satisfying. In my experience, tracking a fireteam and wiping them out is easier than it should be. Predator definitely needs to be relatively overpowered, but I’ve yet to encounter situations that require the majority of his arsenal. I often forgo ranged weapons and traps for quick melee attacks. Slash a guy, tear his head off, bail, rinse and repeat. Currently, it works every time. I’m dying to make use of the smart disc, bow, and bear traps, but range is rarely necessary, and while motion detectors help, it’s nearly impossible to predict fireteam movements

Where’s the Variety?

Blowing the heads off non-threatening NPCs and completing the same monotonous objectives as a fireteam member quickly grow tiresome. The FPS gameplay works well enough on PS4 but falls short of the exceptional responsiveness of many modern shooters. Rolling with friends and sticking together often leads to interesting battles with the predator, as it forces the predator to approach encounters more tactically and stealthily to pick off fireteam members. However, the majority of matches I play with randoms lack communication and cohesion, resulting in regular wrist gauntlet bloodbaths. Ultimately, the game is at its best when you play as intended. 

Friday the 13th improved exponentially over time, and I expect the same to occur here. Fans of Hunting Grounds are bound to discover actual strategies on both sides and determine a meta that leads to a more engaging gameplay experience. Presently, it’s difficult to discern much variety between the available classes and loadouts. I’ve considered how a match may play out with a fireteam comprised entirely of support players. A lineup like that may force the predator to solely attack from a distance. Perhaps undiscovered playstyles will lead to equipping particular perks, as many of them are more or less useless aside from a few. 

Adding to the sense of repetitiveness are the three maps that play the same and look all too similar. Implementing more demanding objectives and deadlier NPCs could result in a less mindless fireteam experience, and introducing various times of day and weather effects could beef up the overall aesthetic. Ideas like night versions of the maps, a snowy map, a cityscape, and a thunderstorm variant could be great. It’d hinder the predator’s vision and cloaking abilities, forcing more creative approaches to combat. The worst offender is the match queue times for Predator. You’re looking at thirty seconds to a minute or two for fireteam matches while upwards of ten to twenty minutes for Predator. Whether it’s a result of poor severs or a shallow player base, it’s the most pressing issue that discourages me from playing. 

You Are One Ugly Mother F*****

Something I’d love to see is a 1v1 or free for all predator deathmatch mode. In terms of the lore, you’re to prove your worth as a hunter. Objectives could include hunting NPCs while fighting to the death against opposing predators. Perhaps bonus rewards are granted for taking down an elite Schwarzenegger-like boss. I also believe adding challenges to the game could encourage players to equip specific weapons and perks. Instead of unlocking attachments or pieces of gear by merely playing the game, you’re encouraged to set a number of traps or kill a certain amount of enemies for rewards. There are countless challenges you could include to break up the occasional monotony of matches.

Hunting Grounds grants experience and cosmetic rewards generously. You level up between predator and fireteam experience alike and quickly unlock weapons and gear. You can invest in-game currency into particular items of interest or field lockers that drop three random items at a time. There’s a ton of sick gear to unlock for predator and the fireteam. If you enjoy customizing your in-game appearance, Hunting Grounds offers plenty of variety.

Predator’s easily in my top ten 80’s action movies, and I can’t salute IllFonic enough for including predator’s original score and sound design, familiar animations, muddying up, and the absolutely necessary, “GET TO THE CHOPPA!!!” They clearly admire and have paid tremendous respect to the source material. Hunting Grounds isn’t graphically breathtaking but textures are relatively strong, especially on Predator, and the lighting is suitable. There are also some brutal blood and gore effects that at least make slaughtering the weak NPCs amusing. Miraculously, I’ve encountered only a few minor technical issues. At worst, Predator will briefly float between a tight patch of trees, and some NPCs will freeze in place for a moment after you decapitate them with your shotgun. 

Predator: Hunting Grounds has remarkable potential. It has all the right ideas in place but desperately needs further polish and a dedicated player base to flesh it out. The thoughts I’ve shared probably sound incredibly critical, but I oddly feel like sticking around to see where it goes. For more on Hunting Grounds, you can check out multiple gameplay videos above and on our YouTube channel.

***PS4 code was provided by the publisher***

The post Predator: Hunting Grounds Review – No, You Have Lots of Time To Bleed appeared first on COGconnected.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered looks and sounds beautiful on PS4 and, to no one’s surprise, runs exceptionally. I adored the game in 2009 and still regard that era as the franchise’s glory days. Like many, I was more invested in multiplayer, but fondly remembered a few standout missions and set pieces from the campaign akin to a Michael Bay summer blockbuster. However, there were several missions I’d forgotten and loved playing through again in all their remastered glory. 

Roach, Soap, and Captain Price’s globe-trotting adventure through the onset of WW3 is more exhilarating than ever in 4K with vastly improved textures, lighting, animations, physics, and sound design. It’s a testament to the game’s design, as the technical updates only further enhance an already phenomenal gameplay experience. In comparison to more recent Call of Duty campaigns, some sequences feel a bit dated, but missions like Cliffhanger, The Gulag, and classic finale remain to be some of my favorites in franchise history. 

Lookin’ Mighty Fine

On the technical front, improved environmental destruction and lighting are the major standouts. Sunsets, fire, floodlights, muzzle flashes, and the ambient glow of particular areas are stunning, along with the reflection of surfaces like wet walls, glass, and blood puddles. Destructible environments fall more in line with what we’ve come to expect from shooters today, as they evoke the power of the weapons you wield. Other details like the textures of your gloves and wrist wear can be easily overlooked, but they’re impressive aspects that contribute to the presentation. 

Like in the Modern Warfare 1 remaster, you’re able to admire your guns through short animations by pressing down on the d-pad. Beenox has intricately remastered every nook of this game, down to the nuances of every weapon design. Along with their nifty appearances, several of the weapons have received updated audio when firing and reloading. Fortunately, some of my favorites, including the ACR, SCAR, and G18 have received the treatment they deserve, and the Model 1887 still has that dope T2 reload animation. I can’t determine if the music or game’s overall mix has been drastically altered, but it sounds great in tandem with the action. 

New to the remastered version are challenging, fun, and visual game modifiers unlocked through collecting intel scattered around missions. Cheat codes like invisible enemies, slow-mo mode, pineapple heads, infinite ammo, and funny animations drastically alter the way you experience the campaign. I haven’t acquired any modifiers, but they look like so much fun in videos I’ve seen. I’m encouraged to replay the campaign on veteran anyway, but the inclusion of modifiers significantly increases replayability. 

The new and improved museum returns upon completing the campaign, and it still feels odd to gun down the live models on display. Whether you treat it as an interactive story recap or glorified gun range, it’s a cool feature I’m happy to see return.

I’m not entirely disappointed by the exclusion of the game’s classic multiplayer component, as Infinity Ward has confirmed that some maps are making their way to the current Modern Warfare. I’m actively playing Modern Warfare on PC, and I’m incredibly excited to see what Modern Warfare 2 maps look like today. I love most of them, but I’m crossing my fingers for Afghan, Favela, Highrise, and Terminal beyond the rest. 

Modern Warfare 2 is easily in my top five COD campaigns, and I was stoked about its surprise release. The month-long PS4 exclusivity is a bummer, but whether you’re a fan of the original or interested in jumping in for the first time, I strongly recommend picking it up on your respective platform when its available. Beenox continues to contribute tremendously to Call of Duty, and Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is unequivocally their best work yet. 

***PS4 code provided by the publisher for review***

The post Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Remastered Review – Just Like Old Times appeared first on COGconnected.

Doom Eternal is undoubtedly one of the best shooters I’ve ever played. For context, I’ve been an FPS fan for over twenty years. There are countless franchises I love, many of which have thrived this generation, but none have seized my adoration quite like Doom. Eternal is a masterclass in design and succeeds beyond the 2016 reboot in every way. Here are twelve things I absolutely love about the game.

Strategic Combat

Much like creative director Hugo Martin describes, Eternal’s combat isn’t unlike a hardcore, fast-paced game of chess. Arenas are designed to maximize your arsenal of tools and abilities. Strategy is required to exploit enemy weaknesses, and maintain your ammo, health, and armor to survive the action. Encounters demand your full attention and are repeatedly exhilarating, as battles are frenetic, and victory lies in your moment to moment choices and precision. 

Every Weapon Matters

As a result of enemy designs and a constant shortage of ammo, health, or armor, using every weapon at your disposal is critical. The plasma rifle wipes out shields, the combat shotgun’s sticky bombs and heavy cannon’s precision bolts destroy enemy weapons, and the chaingun and ballista quickly deal with heavies, to list a few. The flame belch causes demons to bleed armor, the chainsaw replenishes ammo, glory kills provide health, and both grenade types are useful for different situations. While runes are more subjective, they also play heavily into how to conquer every arena. There’s never a dull moment as Eternal practically forces you to use every weapon during every fight. 

Arena Designs

From hell on earth to the royal architecture of Sentinel Prime, mission environments are gorgeous, but their designs in terms of gameplay are significantly more impressive, especially when stacked against Eternal’s predecessor. Combat arenas are equipped with monkey bars, boost pads, and teleporters, all of which accentuate the game’s remarkably fluid traversal and enable you to further strategize your approach to combat. Some arenas feature environmental hazards inflicting another layer of difficulty. In addition to combat and enemy designs, diversity’s also emphasized with every combat arena you encounter, as there isn’t a set formula that works for every scenario.

Demons, Old & New

Although terrifying with a ravenous will to slaughter you, you can’t help but love the demons. Visually, they’re fun to look at before decapitating, dismembering, and tearing out their eyes. I’m a big fan of Arachnotrons, Pain Elementals, and Revenants. Beyond their harrowing appearances, every demon uniquely challenges you between the ways they move and attack.

Click on through to PAGE 2 for the remaining reasons on our list…

The post 12 Things I Love About DOOM Eternal appeared first on COGconnected.

Doom Eternal’s brutal, frenetic action is lightning fast, challenging, and unrelenting. Your inherent FPS skills are bound to be tested as you rip and tear through demonic hordes. If you’re as stoked as I was to get your hands on the game, here are six tips to jump-start your Doom dance.

Keep Moving

If even for a moment you let off the gas, you’re more than likely a goner, especially on higher difficulty settings. Demons are ferocious and attack relentlessly. Fortunately, every arena’s meticulously designed for you to keep the pedal to the metal while shredding through hell-spawn. Monkey bars are helpful in quickly bringing down super heavy demons like Tyrants and Barons of Hell. Repeatedly swinging into the sky and raining a barrage of rockets often deals with them. Teleporters are essential for an escape when you’re low on health, and boost pads enable you to continue firing while flying from one end of the arena to the other. Battles are incredibly chaotic. When in doubt, keep moving!

Maximize Abilities & Equipment

You’re always running short on ammo, armor, or health, sometimes all three at once. Maximizing your abilities and equipment is critical to survival. Dashing’s most effective for dodging projectiles, pinkies, and escaping groups when overwhelmed. In addition to glory kills, there are a few ways to gain health. The Punch and Reave rune causes demons to drop health when killed by a Blood Punch shockwave. It’s an invaluable perk that repeatedly saved my life. The flame belch causes enemies to bleed armor and is most effective when you kill the demon you’ve set ablaze. Igniting a demon and circling the arena is often your best bet, as by the time you reach them, you’ve glory killed a few others, refilled your ammo with the chainsaw, and they’ve dropped a load of armor shards to scoop up. 

Frag grenades are especially useful during smaller encounters, but I’ve found the ice bomb to be helpful for larger ones. Freezing a group and following it up with a rocket or two is an easy way to wipe out several demons at once. It’s wise to reserve power weapons for desperate situations. The BFG, Unmaykr, and Crucible are powerful, but ammo is scarce. They’re typically most appropriate for annihilating overwhelming hordes of super heavy demons.

Exploit Enemy Weaknesses

Every demon has a weakness, and there’s a weapon to exploit each one. The plasma rifle conquers shields, the heavy cannon and chain gun quickly stagger demons on the move, the ballista slaughters pain elementals, and the combat shotgun’s sticky bombs are paramount. They destroy Mancubus, Arachnotron, and Revenant cannons, instantly stagger Cacodemons, and tear up Doom Hunter engines, along with the heavy cannon’s precision bolt. Blood punch immediately destroys Archvile shields and Cyber Mancubus armor, and the super shotgun is as deadly as ever against everything, especially when you unlock the flaming hook mastery upgrade. Knowing when to use specific weapons becomes second nature, but you can always refer to the codex for reminders. 

Head over to PAGE 2 for more tips…

The post 6 Essential DOOM Eternal Tips appeared first on COGconnected.

Reviewing Sennheiser’s GSP 370 Wireless Gaming Headset is a belated Christmas miracle. I’d worn the hell out of my PlayStation Gold headset and was seeking not only a replacement but an upgrade. Fortunately, The GSP 370 is exactly what I was looking for.

While exceptional audio is a necessity for every headset, it’s entirely meaningless if you’re unable to wear it comfortably for hours at a time. The squishy earpads, split padded headband, and light weight of the 370 adorns my egg-shaped skull in the coziest fashion. It’s like it was designed specifically for my head. The leatherette exterior combined with the interior suede sound insulation of the earpads fulfills Sennheiser’s pitch of “perfected comfort” and reduced heat build-up. They’re also replaceable should you wear them to the point of deterioration. The split padded headband is a Godsend, as headbands are often the bane of my noggin. Following a three hour session of game time, I hadn’t experienced a moment of discomfort. In terms of personal comfort, the 370 checks every box.

Currently, there’s no better place to test audio quality than Modern Warfare. I can only compare the 370 to my Gold headset. By default, the 370 packs significantly more low end, which is an absolute plus for me in a shooter. I prefer for the brutality of warfare to rattle my brain without sacrificing clarity. My satisfaction across the entire spectrum is undoubtedly attributed to the integrated digital sound processing and noise cancelation. These cans silence outside noise nearly to a fault. The 370 doesn’t feature voice monitoring, often making it difficult to hear yourself speak. The absence of the feature doesn’t ruin the headset, but it’d certainly improve the overall experience. My favorite aspect of the headset’s design is the volume wheel on the right earpad. I much prefer spinning a wheel over clicking buttons to alter the volume on the fly.

I haven’t felt the urge to take advantage of it, but the five band equalizer within the Sennheiser Gaming Suite software is highly responsive, granting total freedom in tweaking the soundscape to your preference. There’s also a shortlist of presets to choose from with general alterations like additional high end, reduced mids, etc.

Nearly Flawless

The 370’s mic is the weakest component despite the relatively effective background noise-cancelation. It’s advertised as “broadcast quality,” but falls quite short of that description. It’s far from terrible, but the mic’s quality is average at best. Fortunately, you can adjust the tone, gain, and add a noise gate within the Gaming Suite. In altering all three settings, I’ve managed to improve the quality from its default state by a considerable degree. To mute the mic, you raise it to its upward position. It isn’t necessarily any better than pressing a button, but it contributes to the headset’s simple functionality.

The most enticing feature of the 370 is the one hundred hours of battery life. Gone are the days of charging your wireless headset after a mere few hours of game time. Chances are you’ll never need to charge the headset while playing, but you’re able to do so with the included micro USB cable should it occur. While the 370 is designed to be a gaming headset exclusively, I’m disappointed by the lack of a 3.5mm input. Considering the phenomenal quality of the headset in its default state, jamming to tunes on the go would be a great perk.

The Sennheiser 370 Wireless Gaming Headset is comfortable, it functions simply, sounds incredible, and taking advantage of the Gaming Suite enhances it even further. While the mic falls short of broadcast quality, the remaining features compensate for it tenfold. If you’re seeking a great headset for PC, Mac, or PS4 at an affordable price, the 370 is well worth your consideration.

***Headset provided by Sennheiser for Review***

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It’s been a wild five years for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. I won’t dwell on the abysmal launch it faced in 2014, but it’s worth recognizing the heart and perseverance that paved the road to its success today. The revolution the collection has undergone on console and its debut on PC is a testament to 343’s passion for the franchise and care for the fans.

As a die-hard, I’m incredibly grateful. ElDewrito was a valiant attempt at fans taking matters into their own hands, but it didn’t quite live up to Halo’s potential on the platform. Fortunately, that intrepid team is assisting 343 with official mod support going forward. Halo: Reach’s surprisingly smooth launch on PC, along with the gargantuan sales numbers on day one have reignited my hope for the future. Halo’s glory days may be gone, but with MCC now fulfilling the promise of its premise and Reach functioning beautifully on mouse and keyboard, it feels as if a new age is beginning. Perhaps I’m overly optimistic, but aside from a few gripes, I’m loving my time with the game.

Oddly enough, Reach isn’t my first foray with Halo on PC. Back in the day, I played through the entirety of Halo 1’s campaign on PC, including countless hours of CTF on Blood Gulch. Going into Reach, I’d hoped it’d function half, as well as Combat Evolved, did at the time. In action, it’s nearly flawless aside from the momentary freeze that occurs every time you unlock an achievement. That bug has gotten me killed in every mode at least once. 

An Impressive Port

My rig’s moderately powerful with an RTX 1080 and 8700k CPU. On average, I maintain between 150-300 fps at 1440p on a 144hz G-Sync monitor. I have the currently labeled “experimental” unlimited framerate option engaged with V-Sync off. At these settings, the game feels spectacular to play. It’s evident that the higher refresh rate option is still undergoing maintenance, as aiming your weapon doesn’t feel quite as silky as other modern shooters at high framerates, but it doesn’t remotely hinder the experience. Sure, playing Halo on mouse and keyboard compared to a controller was initially jarring, but upon tweaking my sensitivity, FOV, and key binds, it feels excellent. 

I appreciate a graphically elegant game, but I value performance over visual fidelity. On that front, Reach is thriving on PC. Though nearly a decade old, it looks pretty slick with the enhanced graphics option engaged. It enables greater draw distances and slightly improved textures that complement the moment to moment experience. Facial animations haven’t aged well, but I don’t hold it against an otherwise stellar voice cast.

By default, the audio’s awful on PC. Weapons sound distant and muffled, and the music significantly overpowers everything else. I adore Marty’s score, but I need to hear the impact of guns, enemy banter, and explosive sounds of battle to feel immersed. I’ve read that 343 are actively working toward improving the audio mix, as porting the game from 360 to PC presented a laundry list of issues, as to be expected. Upon adjusting the settings myself, it’s bearable. I thought I’d been recently spoiled by the immaculate sound design in Modern Warfare. As it turns out, I’m not the only one with audio concerns. 

While I’ve long held Reach’s campaign in high regard, I hadn’t once revisited it in the last nine years. Battling the covenant alongside Noble Team has not only reminded me of why I loved the game originally but provided an entirely fresh experience on mouse and keyboard. I still prefer Halo without reticle bloom and armor abilities, but those elements don’t ruin the gameplay for me.

Reach multiplayer is now packed with content, including classic game modes and countless community-created maps in addition to the original twenty. Better yet, you’re able to customize your game preset, size, and mode preferences in the same way you can on console. On Xbox, MCC multiplayer has operated seamlessly for a while now. Reach’s PC flights paid off, as not only are several quality of life features present at launch, but jumping in and out of multiplayer matches is efficient and bug-free. Firefight’s also running well and remains to be incredibly fun and addicting. 

Currently, crossplay is only enabled between Steam and Windows 10 versions of the game. 343 have stated they’re actively monitoring the status of the game before deciding to bring Xbox into the fold. I find it odd that a game like Modern Warfare can support crossplay between three different platforms while 343 are hesitant to include at least Windows 10 and Xbox at launch, especially with the existence of Xbox Play Anywhere. In their defense, I don’t understand the network and technical demands of crossplay, and I imagine it’d be complicated to link Xbox and PC players together with the entirety of MCC available on one platform and Reach alone on the other.

I haven’t yet dabbled with mods, but I love that 343 are supporting them. Upon installing MCC, you’re provided the option of bypassing anti-cheat before launching the game. I don’t have anything else to share on the matter, aside from my excitement to see what the community whips up over time for the campaign and custom games.

If you’ve played Reach, you’re well aware of the killer armor customization. It’s easily the best the franchise as ever offered, and I’m glad to know Halo Infinite’s drawing inspiration from it. With this version of Reach, 343 have reimagined unlocking gear. Instead of earning credits through progression across all modes like original Reach, you unlock it with Season Points granted through PvP exclusively. It’s pretty disappointing as I loved the satisfaction of working toward that next piece of armor, whether I was progressing through the story, throwing down in Firefight, or playing Slayer. It isn’t detrimental, but I’m struggling to understand the reason for changing it. Sure, it falls more in line with modern battle/season passes, and armor supposedly unlocks at a steadier pace, but I much prefer selecting specific gear at my leisure. As long as it doesn’t require hundreds of hours to earn my grenadier getup, I’ll be a happy Spartan. 

While Halo: Reach on PC is actively undergoing maintenance, it’s achieved an exceptional launch and feels great to play on mouse and keyboard. If MCC maintains a large player base as the rest of the collection trickles out and crossplay with Xbox is enabled, the next golden age of Halo could be on the rise as we approach Infinite. I’m thrilled that the collection is in a phenomenal place on console, and with PC now being my preferred platform, I’m pumped to experience the remainder of it. Halo’s popularity has undeniably dwindled over the last decade, but it’s not dead yet. After all, Spartans never die. They’re just missing in action. 

***PC Review code provided by Microsoft***

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I’m unashamed in admitting I’ve long dreamt of wielding a lightsaber, using the force, and fighting against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire in my very own space epic. With Jedi: Fallen Order, Respawn Entertainment delivers that and more as it truly fulfills my fantasy of becoming a Jedi, and is unequivocally my favorite Star Wars video game to date.

The story, characters, and gameplay all begin strong and significantly evolve until the end. While I do have some minor nitpicks, I didn’t experience a single minute of boredom throughout my thirty-hour run. I spent those hours achieving 100% completion, as I was determined to understand and cover every aspect before writing this review. I love the game, and I couldn’t be more excited to talk about it.

A Special Kind of Force

The period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope is rich for storytelling, and Fallen Order capitalizes with an original story packed with interesting characters. You follow the tale Cal Kestis on his journey to becoming a Jedi Knight and uncovering the key to a war-altering artifact. He’s joined by crew members Cere and Greez aboard the Stinger Mantis as they set off on an adventure to bring hope to the galaxy. 

Fallen Order fits wonderfully within canon. The goal of Cal’s quest is pretty straightforward, but there are some fun, unexpected twists along the way. New and known characters you encounter have compelling goals motivating their actions. The exploration of how people are affected in different ways by the fall of the Republic is fascinating. Ideas such as a Yoda-like character that’s in hiding, but grows power hungry in their isolation, or the effects that tapping into the dark side has on a tried and true Jedi. Some familiar tropes are apparent, but the galaxy-building ideas Fallen Order presents are outstanding. Longtime Star Wars fans will love some moments that occur throughout, and the story ultimately leads to a tremendous conclusion. 

The legacy of Cal Kestis will stand boldly alongside those of other famous Jedi. Cameron Monaghan gives a stellar performance that I find highly engaging. While we aren’t on paths to becoming Jedi, we all pursue goals of our own. Not only does Cal battle stormtroopers and giant toads, but inner feelings of doubt, pride, and guilt; emotions that I and countless others have faced in our own lives. Externally he strives to overcome the might of the Empire, but internally conquer himself. I find it oddly relatable, so I connect well with the character. However, I find Cere’s story to be far more interesting. Her dilemma’s rife with darkness and becomes more dramatic as the truth of her past unravels.

Fallen Order may be derivative of many great games, but Respawn has prevailed in combining several influences into a design of their own. There’s Uncharted and Prince of Persia-like traversal, combat akin to Dark Souls and God of War, and exploration similar to Metroid and Tomb Raider. They’ve drawn inspiration from all the right places, and I absolutely adore it. It’s a blast from the onset and becomes increasingly fun as you unlock abilities and acquire new gear. Best of all, it feels mechanically divine to play.

Exceeded Expectations

There’s much to love about the planets. There are five in total loaded with new lore to discover, cosmetic items to collect, and enemies to battle. Exploration is vital to opening shortcuts, finding easter eggs, building your catalog of glamorous ponchos, paint jobs, and lightsaber parts, and acquiring practical upgrades for yourself and BD-1. Initially, I appreciated the lack of fast travel. Planets evolve throughout the game with new areas to explore and enemies to face. However, trekking across entire planets to collect the last remaining secrets I’d left behind was a bit frustrating after I’d experienced all they had to offer. 

Spread throughout the planets are meditation spots enabling you to rest, spend skill points, and save your progress. Your skill tree is broken into three categories: Force, lightsaber, and survival. All are self-explanatory, but I’m happy to say every skill you unlock drastically alters Cal’s abilities and results in an incredibly satisfying progression system. Resting restores your collection of health stims and respawns enemies. I’m fond of Soulsborne games, so I find a lot of enjoyment in the design. In dying you lose half the XP you gained since your previous save. Returning to and attacking the enemy that killed you restores your life, force, and lost XP. It’s a pretty hardcore system I never imagined for a Star Wars game, but Respawn nails it. 

Thankfully, exploring planets and keeping track of your progress is a breeze with your three-dimensional holo map, providing you clear sight of where you’re at, open doorways, pathways to explore, and your main objective. Some areas remind me of large-scale shrines from Breath of the Wild. Optional and mandatory puzzles are within requiring you to combine all your abilities to solve them. I often loath puzzles in action games but found them to a be nice break from the challenging combat. 

At long last, we have a nuanced lightsaber combat system in a Star Wars game. From mere Scazz to Purge Troopers, enemies are unforgiving. They’ll downright slaughter you if you aren’t diligent with managing your defensive stamina and force gauge. Methods of combat are designed with purpose. Your single-bladed lightsaber is powerful against small groups, double-bladed is useful for crowd control, and dual-wielding is great for breaking defenses. Using force powers and having BD-1 hack particular droids makes it all the more interesting. You eventually memorize where enemies are located, but fights never feel monotonous due to the variety of weapon modifications and ambushes from bounty hunters. 

Boss fights are excellent overall, but especially thrilling with inquisitors. Breaking their defenses is significantly more demanding than standard enemies, adding a cinematic element to the fights. Narrative and gameplay work beautifully in conjunction. As Cal’s confidence grows throughout the story, so does your’s as you master the mechanics. By the end of the game, I felt like a seasoned Jedi Knight in every battle. All enemy types are fun to fight, but I did encounter a few A.I. and performance issues. In a couple of instances, a group of enemies would cease attacking me and walk away in the middle of a fight. On one occasion I walked on air, and the game crashed once. Fortunately, the A.I. error rarely occurred, and battles often played out correctly. Respawn has since released a day one patch to improve stability and fix bugs, so you may not experience any of these issues.

The Best Saber in The Biz

I can’t celebrate the lightsaber customization enough. You can alter it to your heart’s content by modifying the color, emitter, switch, sleeve, and material. That alone encouraged me to scavenge every nook and cranny of the planets. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but altering it along with Cal’s appearance enabled me to role-play the journey from Padawan to Jedi Knight. I spent the majority of the game in his default flight suit with a blue lightsaber. Following a critical turning point in the story, I changed into a black outfit wielding a matte black hilt and cyan blade. Mentioning this isn’t all that critical to the review, but it was one of my favorite moments in the game, and I hope you experience the same enjoyment. You can also ignite your lightsaber at will. It’s a minor feature but one I much appreciate. 

Fallen Order isn’t graphically earth-shattering, but it looks beautiful in max settings on P.C. The performance capture is impressive, especially with alien characters like Greez. I imagine it’s no easy task to make a squashed face like his convey emotion, but Respawn succeeded in doing so. The physics are highly believable, specifically with Cal’s slick, flowing do. The lighting’s gorgeous and most impressive in dark areas and on Zeffo in particular. The animations are my favorite aspect of the visual presentation. Cal looks stellar in traversal and combat, and I love that his flip is animated after Luke’s from The Empire Strikes Back. Attention to detail is sparse in how there’s no effect of Cal dragging his lightsaber across the ground or igniting it inside the Mantis, but those aspects don’t detract from the experience. 

I revere good sound design, and Fallen Order is full of it. From your lightsaber, droids and creatures, ambient noise on planets, to the familiar audio cues from the long history of the franchise, the game sounds fantastic. The grandeur of the London Symphony Orchestra is on full display with familiar music and an original score composed by Gordy Haab and Stephen Barton. Collectively, the presentation makes for an immersive Star Wars experience.

I love Star Wars, I love video games, and Fallen Order is a glorious amalgamation of the two. Though I’ve experienced everything the game has to offer, I genuinely can’t wait to play through it again on the hardest difficulty. At this point, I can only hope Respawn follows it up with a sequel because the force is remarkably strong with this one. For more on Jedi: Fallen Order, you can check out a multitude of gameplay videos on our YouTube channel. Thanks for reading, and may the force be with you.

***PC code provided by EA for review***

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Call of Duty’s back and in some ways better than ever. While my admiration for the franchise has waned over the years, I’ve enjoyed the immaculate FPS mechanics, insane action set pieces, and addictive multiplayer since the beginning. A firm salute to Infinity Ward, because the team at the seasoned studio have reinvigorated my interest into full-blown passion. There’s much to love about the game, but some aspects need serious work. Here are three things I love, and three things I hate about the current state of multiplayer in Modern Warfare.

THE GOOD

New PvP Modes

Cyber Attack’s the search and destroy evolution I didn’t know I needed, sixty-four player Ground War, while unbridled pandemonium, is an exceptional battlefield ripoff, and Realism’s appropriately unforgiving, but Gunfight’s my favorite among them. It’s one of the best modes in franchise history. I commend it extensively here. In short, I can’t get enough of the high stakes 2v2 action with random loadouts on small, symmetrical maps. It demands a level of strategy and communication, and victory relies solely on your skill level. No perks, no killstreaks, just good ol’ fashioned competitive gunplay. 

Gunsmith

Weapon customization has reached new depths with Gunsmith. Each gun feels unique to fire in its standard state with realistic recoil, and for better or worse, each can be tweaked with a ton of attachments and perks. I’m still hooked on the M4, but I’ve had fun experimenting with bizarre sniper and submachine gun builds. Weapon leveling is rewarding, and I appreciate the wide variety of camos and stickers offered to bedazzle them. 

New Mechanics

Through tactical sprint, weapon mounting, realistic recoil patterns, ballistic projectiles, dynamic doors, finishing attacks, and the return of killstreaks, the tried and true multiplayer formula finally feels fresh following more than a decade of minimal evolution. It doesn’t always pay off, but tactically sprinting across the battlefield has saved my skin on several occasions, and mounting weapons on barriers and wall corners is great for defending objectives and completely alters firefights. I often burst through doorways like a maniac, but having the option to stealthily crack them open to get a lay of the land or destroy them with equipment are stellar options. Killing enemies is incredibly satisfying with the use of ballistic projectiles over hit-scanning. It’s far more intense, realistic, and watching the final kill cam is more fun to watch than ever before. Killstreaks will forever feel more rewarding than scorestreaks. I’m not often skilled enough to earn anything beyond a hellfire missile, but I’m glad they’re back. Knife finishers are cool, but my attempts at ending players in style typically end in catastrophe. 

Click on through to PAGE 2 for the worst…

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Suffice to say the force is remarkably strong with this one. I trust I’m not alone in proclaiming it, as my expectations were far exceeded upon playing Respawn Entertainment’s Jedi: Fallen Order. Based on the E3 2019 demo, I believed the claims of Metroidvania, Dark Souls, and Uncharted influences were a bunch of mumbo-jumbo. The crazy thing is, it’s true. The exploration, challenging combat, all of it. I have much to say about the mere sliver I played of the game, but I’ll begin with the declaration that Jedi: Fallen Order is the single-player Star Wars adventure we’ve been waiting for. 

Fallen Order presents the tale of Cal Kestis, a former padawan who spent years in hiding following Order 66. In an attempt to save his friend, Cal exposes himself by using the force in the presence of the Empire. Now a known fugitive, he joins a scrapping crew and embarks on a valiant mission across the galaxy as he learns the ways of the force. 

In Respawn We Trust

Respawn’s talent is ever-present, as the unity of satisfying gameplay progression and compelling narrative grips you like a force choke. While I’ve only experienced a couple of hours, I’m already invested in Cal’s history and mission. Cameron Monaghan (Shameless, Gotham) has seemingly given a stellar performance. His outgoing, courageous spirit reflects that of other famous protagonists like Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan, and his comradery with crew members Cere Junda and Greez Dritus is a lot of fun to experience. I can’t disclose much, but there’s tremendous depth to each of the characters I’ve encountered, and I can’t wait to witness their stories unfold. 

Cal’s mission propels him across the galaxy in the Stinger Mantis, a ship equipped with a garden, meditation spot, and lightsaber crafting table (more on that later). Most notable is the ship’s holo map enabling you to select planets to visit. During my demo, I traveled to the snowy planet Zeffo in search of an ancient tomb housing secrets pertaining to the mission. 

Planets are akin to Crystal Dynamic’s Tomb Raider series and Soulsborne games but include many elements that set them apart from the fold. All the features those comparisons suggest are present, including meditation spots allowing you to save your progress, replenish health, and invest in your skill tree, secret areas, shortcuts, collectibles, platforming, and puzzles. Unique to Fallen Order is the ability to manipulate your environment with the force. From slowing the propellers of a wind turbine to cross a valley to breaking through barriers with force push, there’s an abundance of areas with unique platforming sequences on Zeffo alone. 

Exploring the planet reminds me of a Soulsborne world. The environment itself is a character, rich with new lore, creatures, and enemies to encounter, all of which are logged with bios in an encyclopedia you build throughout the game. Exploration is strongly encouraged, and I found it to be worthwhile as I was repeatedly rewarded for venturing off the beaten path. Some pathways are blocked until acquiring specific abilities or upgrades, giving reason to revisit planets for additional quests and discoveries.

Expect Puzzles

Traditionally, I tend to detest puzzles in action games. I admire some from the Prince of Persia franchise, but most make me groan. The good news is this is Respawn, and if their games are anything, they’re incredibly fun to play. There are many puzzles in Fallen Order. I discovered a few on Zeffo, some optional, others mandatory. Fortunately, none detract from the pace of the game. They require you to use everything at your disposal to solve them, not unlike shrine puzzles in Breath of the Wild. I genuinely had a lot of fun conquering them and was handsomely rewarded in tackling the optional ones. 

One of the most critical tools in Cal’s arsenal is his personal holo map of each planet. Similar to Doom 2016, the map’s presented three-dimensionally, providing you a clear sight of where you’re at, available doorways, pathways to explore, and your main objective. I believe there’s no better way to design an in-game map, especially when exploring worlds with great scope and depth. 

Before getting my hands on the game, I’d hoped at the very least Fallen Order would feel divine to play. Respawn’s jump from FPS action to third-person adventure is mechanically seamless. Controlling Cal in traversal is as brilliantly smooth as running and gunning in Titanfall and Apex. You feel entirely in control while wall-running, leaping gaps, climbing, rope swinging, sliding, and using the force, and it’s especially gratifying when combining them all in a sequence. 

Combat features that same satisfaction. At long last, I can confidently state we have a nuanced lightsaber combat experience in a Star Wars game. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had fun in games like Jedi Outcast, Force Unleashed, and even Revenge of the Sith, but Fallen Order is unequivocally the chosen one. 

Quick attack, heavy attack, block, parry, force powers, dash, and dodge roll are your basic mechanics. Throughout Zeffo, I battled a variety of stormtroopers, creatures, and other enemies unique to the planet, all of which presented their own challenges. You can’t simply swing your lightsaber wildly and hope to prevail. Enemies are adept, and they’ll viciously retaliate. You possess a stamina bar that depletes while defending oncoming attacks and a force gauge that’s replenished by attacking. The parry mechanic is highly responsive and useful for quickly taking down enemies in large groups. Some attacks can’t be blocked, indicted by a red glow, prompting you to avoid them with a dash or dodge roll. While I only had slow and push at my disposal, force powers are great for mixing up the action, from pushing enemies off cliffs to slowing them when you’re overwhelmed. 

You require a fair amount of stitching up after taking riot control batons and blaster rounds to the face. Your faithful droid, BD-1, stores your health stims. Tapping Up on the D-Pad heals you instantly, but your stock is limited. To restore them, you must rest at a meditation spot. However, doing so respawns every enemy you’ve killed. The Soulsborne and God of War inspirations are clear, and I love it. While you can unlock many combat abilities that add depth to the experience, the core mechanics aren’t quite as deep as a game like Sekiro. If you aren’t diligent, enemies can be brutal on the standard difficulty setting. Fortunately, Fallen Order features multiple difficulty options catering to those seeking an easy-going adventure and for others craving punishment. 

Blast Them Storm Troopers

All of this being said, combat is an absolute blast. Deflecting blaster rounds back at Storm Troopers has never felt more satisfying as you manually block each shot. Swinging your lightsaber, clashing with enemy weapons, and defending attacks feels smooth and intense, and controller rumble enhances the sensation. Like many, I’m a bit disappointed by the lack of dismemberment. Chopping Storm Troopers to bits is absent, but it’s open season for planet creatures. You can slice Scazz in half and sever the horns of goats. Dealing damage overall isn’t quite as visceral as I’d hoped, but it doesn’t remotely hinder the fun of combat.

As stated by game director Stig Asmussen, “Fallen Order isn’t about being a Jedi, but becoming one.” Narrative and gameplay work beautifully in conjunction. Cal’s a padawan learning the ways of the force in his journey of becoming a Jedi master, so progression writes itself. Your skill tree is broken into three categories: Force, Lightsaber, and Survival. As you may expect, the force branch enhances your force abilities, lightsaber unlocks new skills and combos, and survival increases your overall health, stamina, and BD-1’s abilities. Skill points are earned through experience gained by discovering new areas and defeating enemies. As Cal’s confidence grows throughout the story, so does your’s as you learn new abilities and master the mechanics. It’s one of the aspects I loved about Titanfall 2’s campaign, an inexperienced but courageous protagonist overcoming the odds and becoming a warrior. 

I’m an aesthetics junkie. I need to look good in video games. I’m the guy who’ll equip an inferior piece of gear in an RPG just because it looks cool. Thankfully, Cal’s appearance, lightsaber, BD-1, and the Mantis can all be customized and have no effect on gameplay. All customization materials are discovered within the planets you explore. You can alter Cal’s flight suit and poncho, and BD-1 and the Mantis’ paint jobs. I love those aspects, but let’s be honest, we’re all here for the lightsaber. You can alter every detail of it, including the color, emitter, switch, sleeve, and material on board the Mantis at your personal table, or at any workbench discovered on planets. Not only is Respawn presenting us with exceptional lightsaber combat, but enabling us to tweak the design of it to our heart’s content. 

The Force is Stong

Fortunately, Respawn was able to continue avoiding the powerful but dreaded Frostbite Engine with the development of their third-person action-adventure title. Fallen Order was built in Unreal. I’ve sung its mechanical praises, and I harmonize it with admiration for its presentation. I played a chunk of the final build on a powerful PC. Lighting and physics particularly stand out, with impressive graphics and animations. It looks great and sounds even better. Heavy winds, the atmosphere, creatures, weapons, and your lightsaber all sound excellent and make for an immersive experience, not to mention the stellar score.

One of my favorite moments from the demo is the AT-ST boss fight concluding the main quest on Zeffo. It reminds me much of a Zelda boss, as you capitalize off of just learning the force push ability. It’s a small detail, but having the pilot crawl out of the downed walker and continue attacking me was just awesome. I’m confident it’s one of many cool details we can expect to encounter in the full game. I love Star Wars, I love video games, and from what I’ve played, Fallen Order is poised to be a glorious amalgamation of the two. I’m unabashedly stoked. For more on Jedi: Fallen Order, stay tuned to COGconnected as we have additional content on the way, including a video interview with developers.

***Travel, accommodations, and access to preview event provided by EA***

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I won’t remotely sugarcoat it. Hunt: Showdown is one of my favorite games of all time. I’ve been singing its praises since day one of early access, and while my four hundred logged hours pale in comparison to those of other veterans, I believe they warrant valid criticism. I’ve honestly never been this excited to review a game, so I’ll get right into it.

Hunt: Showdown is a PvPvE bounty hunting game based in the bayou of late 19th century Louisiana. In the main bounty hunt mode, your goal is to kill, banish, and escape with the bounty of one or two bosses. Spread across the maps are clues that reveal the compounds in which bosses are located. Along the way, you’ll encounter a myriad of horrific AI creatures like grunts, armored, hive, meatheads, and Hellhounds. All present you with unique challenges, but rival players pose the greatest threat. You and up to nine additional players compete for the same bounties. The players who escape with bounties receive the highest reward, while the rest either die or escape the map with a lesser profit. 

Let’s Put Some Heads To Bed

Entering a match of Hunt is akin to a battle royale with significantly higher stakes. To play a match, you must recruit and outfit a hunter with weapons, tools, consumables, and traits; all of which come at an in-game cost. Every penny you invest could be lost within minutes of entering a match. Once a hunter’s killed, they and their loadout are gone for good. Therefore, your decisions in the lobby and in the world carry tremendous weight. Frankly, it’s a drug I’ve grown addicted to over four hundred hours. I’ve certainly gained a level of confidence since the early days, but today I still experience the tension of PvP firefights, overwhelming PvE encounters, and wild escapes with a bounty. 

Progression is tied to your Bloodline. Bloodlines track your overall rank and statistics including K/D, boss kills, monster kills, and more. Between level 1 and 100, you unlock a ton of various weapons, tools, consumables, traits, and Hunter Tiers. Tier 1 hunters have access to the bare-minimum while Tier 3’s have improved health chunk options, concealing outfits, and a broader selection of gear. What’s beautiful is that while high-level weapons pack a deadlier punch, victory ultimately lies in strategy. While there are scenarios with exceptions, tactics and wit almost always overcome any loadout. Every match packs high risk/reward competition across a level playing field that’s been refined over a year and a half in early access. Once you’ve reached max level, you can prestige up to fifty times to receive new count badges and legendary weapon skins.

There’s also an awesome layer of depth to leveling individual hunters. Hunters possess a sub-level between 1 and 50. The higher level the hunter, the more experience you receive upon winning matches. Once a hunter reaches level 50, you have the option to retire them for bonus experience toward your Bloodline; plus maxed out hunters are logged in your Bloodline for all to revere. That depth extends to loadouts. All playstyles are accommodated through long, medium, and short-range, stealth, and melee. You can recruit up to five hunters at once and outfit them all differently, contributing to the diversity of every match. Though I often cater to stealth, I’ve used every weapon, tool, consumable, and trait for many hours and can attest to the balanced pros and cons of each. Relative balance took a while to achieve, but Crytek has reached an excellent place with 1.0.

While you can play solo or up to a party of three in bounty hunt, Quickplay’s an entirely different experience. You choose a preset loadout and head into the map alone to close rifts, absorb the wellspring’s energy, and escape the map with your soul. While you’re at it, you can scavenge other weapons and gear to alter your strategy. I prefer bounty hunt, but Quickplay’s great for a faster, more streamlined experience when you’re short on time or need a break from the tension of the primary experience. 

Hunt’s maps, Stillwater Bayou and Lawson Delta, are both exceptionally designed. Stillwater’s the original and easily my favorite between the two. It often leads to closer encounters with opposing hunters while Delta tends to end in long-range shootouts. Both are rife with points to take advantage of regardless of strategy, but the best aspect is that there are endless possibilities. Whether your battle occurs in the depths of a forsaken cathedral or atop a towering prison, every encounter with AI and other players is unpredictable. You begin to feel like a tried and true hunter once you’ve memorized the layout of each. Doing so enables you to enact effective strategy, especially when your vision’s inhibited at night or in a dense fog. Both present beautifully horrific atmospheres and provide a strong sense of dread. There’s a lot of compelling lore from Hunt’s world to explore online, but the maps alone spell harrowing tales. 

Hunt currently features three bosses: Butcher, Spider, and The Assassin. In knowing their weaknesses, the battles aren’t inherently difficult, but how you bring them down determines the outcome of the match. If you manage to silently kill one, your chances of banishing them and escaping unscathed are likely. Slaying them through an onslaught of gunfire and explosives alerts opposing players to your position significantly faster. Each boss provides a unique combat experience, and all are enhanced when enemy hunters attempt to intervene. There are also few feelings as thrilling as your compound being surrounded while you have the bounty in hand. In carrying one, you have five seconds of Darksight boost, which enables you to spot player energy through barriers. Darksight boost initially didn’t exist at all, and originally provided you with ten seconds as opposed to five. While there is a part of me that misses its absence, five seconds is far more appropriate than ten, as the ability formally felt a bit too convenient for the hardcore nature of the game. 

Time Well Spent

I’ve spent all of my four hundred hours on PC. Between shooting, slashing, running, sneaking, and vaulting, Hunt’s mechanically on point. Crytek enables you to intricately tweak your preferences between weapon sensitivity, key binds, and the HUD. Sitting down to play Hunt felt incredibly awkward at first, but I quickly grew fond of the odd, default control scheme and believe it actually contributes to a more realistic sense of handling firearms on mouse and keyboard. In 1.0, I haven’t found myself getting snagged on objects or trapped in bizarre spaces within the game world. Hunt doesn’t feature AAA levels of polish, but it feels impressive to play. 

CryEngine’s remarkably powerful and is on full display with Hunt: Showdown. While I’m only capable of maintaining a satisfying frame rate at 1440p and medium settings, I have witnessed the game running at 4K on max. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The grisly art design is beautifully rendered, but its magnum opus is the lighting. In general, the game’s stunning, but it’s most breathtaking at night due to the glow of moonlight cutting through trees and dilapidated structures and the warm glow of fire illuminating points on the maps. Playing at night is also far more eery, nerve-racking, and challenging, and I believe it’s the best way to experience the game. Hunt’s animations aren’t groundbreaking, but they look nice within the world. Audio is equally superb in the unsettling ambient atmosphere, weapon and monster sounds, and the ability to use sound to your advantage. Keeping an ear out for nearby hunters is paramount to survival, and employing audible distractions can make or break encounters. Overall, the game demands the best of your rig. Optimization has drastically improved, but instances of performance dips still occur from time to time.

Connection issues and the lack of persistent parties are my only grievances in 1.0. My internet’s regularly stable across many multiplayer games, but I’m still experiencing an occasional lag in Hunt. It isn’t at all game-breaking, and fortunately, the instances are rare. Persistent parties have been absent since the beginning. Having to re-invite a friend to your lobby every time you win or lose continues to be inconvenient. However, persistent parties are coming to update 1.1 in the near future. 

Additional features include daily and weekly challenges that grant small rewards, and a library of lore detailing the game’s weapons, monsters, and bosses. Hunt’s killer soundtrack by Port Sulphar Band is available on streaming platforms, and the cosmetics-focused Legends of the Bayou DLC is available now. New to 1.0 is Hunt’s secondary currency called Blood Bonds. They can be earned in-game or purchased with real money to unlock access to legendary weapon and hunter skins, and an additional hunter slot. I have limited interest in these amenities, as my adoration for the game is rooted in gameplay. However, they exist for those who want them and don’t inhibit the experience. 

Little did I know that in being tasked with capturing gameplay for week one of early access that Hunt: Showdown would go on to become one of my all-time favorite video games. I’ve actually had to refrain from expressing many of the countless aspects I love. Fortunately, for Hunt’s sake, the majority of its glaring issues were resolved prior to the launch of 1.0. Aside from rare connection issues, Hunt: Showdown is unequivocally one of the best PvPvE experiences of this generation. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you’re a junkie for hardcore, competitive, survival-based multiplayer in a horrific setting, I strongly recommend paying a visit to the bayou. 

For more on Hunt: Showdown, you can check out my five tips for winning here. It’s a bit dated, but many of my suggestions still stand.

***PC code was provided by the publisher***

The post Hunt: Showdown Review – A Product of Perseverance appeared first on COGconnected.

I once believed my trail of destiny led to the National Basketball Association. A natural conclusion for a 5’5” kid from the suburbs of Northern Georgia who couldn’t make his high school team. The 1-9 record of my senior season of recreational ball struck me back to reality. Throughout my young adult years, I’ve fulfilled many sports fantasies through a series of games, notably through the NBA 2K franchise. I’ve spent several iterations apart from the franchise as my passion for the sport has faded. However, the ember of love for the game remaining in my soul was sparked to light through NBA 2K20. The total package is far from a slam dunk, but the core simulation experience continues to reign in glory. 

2K20’s core gameplay has its priorities in order. It feels outstanding. Dribbling up and down the court, driving into the paint, taking a variety of shots, and dunking on the opposition is practically flawless. The AI responds accordingly to your actions; whether you’re player locked or controlling the entire team. More than ever, you feel directly in control of the ball rather than it being glued to your player. From dribbling at different speeds, crossing players, and passing, each action possesses a satisfying weight.

Actions are enhanced by both new and preexisting animations, all of which are smooth and realistic. The new dribbling animations are especially welcome as they significantly improve the visual aspect of ball handling. 2K’s catalog of both handcrafted and performance captured animations are unparalleled and add tremendous depth to each and every player. From the gleam of the court, articulately detailed arenas and textures, and the majority of rendered faces, the game’s graphically tremendous. I’ve also never been able to get over the excellent physics of player’s jerseys and shorts. 

2K20’s My Career mode is the best to date. Featuring a relatively star-studded cast including Idris Elba and Rosario Dawson, 2K tells a predictable but engaging tale about an aspiring pro. Moments of drama and comedy are effective but undercut by a mirage of free will. You’re presented with a few different choices throughout the 6-8 hour story, but none of them significantly impact the direction of it. Admittedly, I had a lot of fun placing myself in the role. I even took advantage of the face scan feature that wasn’t entirely accurate but made for some good laughs. My favorite moments included choosing which teams to pursue, my shoe brand, and participating in the NBA Draft Combine. There you engage in a series of mini-games set apart from the core experience. It’s a lot of fun, and I actually felt the pressure of performing for the scouts. My Career’s graphics and animations are sound during gameplay but aren’t quite up to par during cutscenes. Several environments outside of the court including offices, apartments, and a jet are a tad uncanny, but they don’t hinder the focus of the mode. Overall, it succeeds in all the right places. 

All For Tha Ca$h

My Team and My League, on the other hand, seem downtrodden. That or the deliberate monetization practice hampers them. A couple of things to clarify: My Team and My League are my least favorite modes in 2K, and I don’t mind the inclusion of microtransactions so long as they don’t hurt the experience. Unfortunately, unless you throw some extra cash into the literal casino wheel in either mode, you have to grind severely to progress. Unlocking new players in My Team or forging your dynasty in My League is a grueling process without doing so. It’s incredibly unfortunate because I know some fans who love these modes, but their experiences will be crippled by this practice. In action, the modes are both fun but harshly undercut by the system beckoning your cash. 

In better news, multiplayer’s a blast. Between full simulation showdowns and a variety of matchups, every game I played functioned from beginning to end without a hint of connection hiccups. 2K20 also includes a series of extras including a shoe design mode, the entirety of the WNBA, and 2KTV featuring behind the scenes looks and interviews. I only played a couple of WNBA games, but I’m happy to say the inclusion isn’t remotely overlooked, as the teams, arenas, and animations are exceptionally implemented for the first time in franchise history.

Overall, NBA 2K20 is a good game. The core gameplay and presentation excels, My Career is a simple but enjoyable experience, the WNBA’s included, and the additional modes function but fall short because of the progression stranglehold. 

***NBA 2K20 PS4 review code provided by the publisher***

The post NBA 2K20 Review – For The Love of Money appeared first on COGconnected.

I, along with what appears to be a vocal majority, have long desired for Call of Duty to undergo significant changes. The idea of rebooting the Modern Warfare franchise alone piqued my interest, but witnessing the game in action for the first time seized my attention. From a new engine, visuals, animations, map design, mechanics, and game modes, I was incredibly eager to get my hands on the game following the positive responses from the recent multiplayer reveal event. Many of the new multiplayer modes look exceptional, but it’s Gunfight I’m most interested in. Thankfully, I was able to spend several hours with the Modern Warfare Alpha on PS4 over the weekend and now find myself with a newfound infatuation.

Gunfight is a 2v2 mode where players fight to the death on small, symmetrical maps. At the beginning of every other round, you spawn with a random loadout; be it a sniper and shotgun, M1, Desert Eagle, etc. You have forty seconds to eliminate the opposing team with the weapons at your disposal. If players remain standing after forty seconds, an overtime flag spawns in the middle of the map. The first player to capture it wins the round and the first team to six wins the match.

Intensity Through The Roof

I crave high stakes competition, and Gunfight’s more than gratifying. First and foremost, I adore having only one life per round. It keeps you on edge and demands you play strategically. Spawning with random weapons also alters each encounter. Snipers inherently encourage players to attack from a distance while shotguns often propel them toward one another. Gear can’t be overlooked. I lost count of the times flash bangs saved my own or a teammate’s life, Molotov’s are great for controlling areas of the map, and claymores have repeatedly prevented players from getting the drop on me. What’s both satisfying and, at times, excruciatingly frustrating is the inclusion of ballistic projectiles. With the exclusion of hit scanning, you know whether or not your rounds are actually hitting your target, as confirmed by every kill cam. It also makes the final kill cam more fun to watch than ever before. The mode’s instantly engaging and addicting due to the nonstop action. Frankly, it’s remarkably fun to play and watch. It’ll undoubtedly thrive through streamers.

The realistic approach Infinity Ward’s taking with Modern Warfare is instantly recognizable. In addition to ballistic projectiles, player movement is a bit slower, weapons possess significant recoil, bullet drop is present, there are multiple reload methods, two ways to sprint, a mounting cover system, and time to kill is reduced. Though each weapon I used during the alpha possessed random attachments, I noticed significant differences in the ways they handled. I can’t wait to experiment with Gunsmith to alter weapons to my preference. Reloading while aiming down sights was especially beneficial while maintaining view of a target with a sniper. I didn’t much take advantage of the cover system, but getting in and out of it works well.

I need to gush over the game’s gorgeous animations and phenomenal sound design. Call of Duty’s always had impressive animations, but none quite like those present in Modern Warfare. Impressively, each reload animation is handcrafted without the use of performance capture. There’s a great video interview from Game Informer with Infinity Ward’s animation director Mark Grigsby covering the inspiration and process of the game’s animations I highly recommend checking out. Let me also praise the improved physics and death animations. A few new death animations were added over time, but until now we’ve more or less seen the same ones since 2007. Each weapon also feels and sounds profoundly powerful. I can’t say enough about the Desert Eagle alone. I appreciate minute attention to detail, and I love that bodies make noise upon falling to the ground. An alarming amount of games don’t feature that detail.

Gunfight’s a blast, and overall the game’s shaping up to be the franchise revolution we’ve been waiting for. Visually, it already looks beautiful in its alpha state. The additional multiplayer modes will certainly be fun based on the core gameplay alone, and I’m dying to get a glimpse of the campaign. I’m one of the few who uplift Infinite Warfare’s campaign. The narrative’s solid, but the character work is especially outstanding. If Infinity Ward’s capable of telling an impactful story in a preposterous space setting, I can only imagine the tale they’ve whipped up with Modern Warfare. For more on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, you can check out our thoughts from the multiplayer preview event here, or watch a multitude of gameplay videos on our YouTube channel.

The post Modern Warfare’s Gunfight is One of The Best Modes in Franchise History appeared first on COGconnected.

Upon finishing Until Dawn, I’d immediately determined that I needed more of it; much more of it, in fact. Sure, I’d managed to get the majority of the exceptional cast killed along the way, but the journey of discovering the secrets of Blackwood Pines was rife with laughs, thrills, spooks, and bloody carnage. A drug, really; a horror high of which couldn’t be attained through the Rush of Blood VR experience or The Inpatient. I needed another angsty cast of young adults to band together in a fight for their lives against the supernatural with severe consequences. Fortunately, Supermassive Games returns to the roots of Until Dawn with The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan. The best news is it’s exactly what I was hoping for.

Man of Medan is the pilot story of Supermassive’s horror anthology series titled ‘The Dark Pictures.’ Inspired by the likes of The Twilight Zone, each episode of the series stands on its own with an original narrative and cast of characters. Man of Medan follows a group of friends who embark on a diving excursion across the pacific ocean. A run-in with pirates leads them to a WWII era battleship that’s long been adrift. As the player, it’s your responsibility to keep them all alive as they unravel the mystery behind the sinister forces aboard.

I’ve Been Here Before

Admittedly, the story’s incredibly predictable. I won’t be the only one to have figured it out within the first ten minutes. However, what I found more interesting is how the game manages to deceive you in spite of your knowledge. There are several moments when the characters essentially spell it out for you, and still, I managed to screw it up. It’s undoubtedly by design, and I love it. Similar to Until Dawn, paintings are scattered throughout the world providing you with brief glimpses of what can occur; some of which I found helpful, others never came to fruition. Some imagery, of which I won’t spoil, has me questioning if there’s much more to the story than meets the eye even upon finishing the game.

The characters are as equally compelling as Until Dawn’s cast. All of their performances and interactions are great, but Shawn Ashmore (X-Men, Quantum Break) steals the show. I grew to care for each of them by the end of the game but unfortunately lost a couple before credits rolled. Devastating, truly, but well worth the ride and definitely a second playthrough. Beyond the primary cast, I’m most interested in the Curator. The Rod Serling-like host of the Dark Pictures series, the Curator exists outside of the story in a Victorian-era repository where he coaches you along your journey. Sometimes he’ll offer tips, other times he’ll have you questioning everything. Performed by Pip Torrens, the Curator’s opulent, sophisticated disposition is immediately captivating. Fortunately, he’ll be the host of every Dark Pictures episode. I can’t wait to learn more about his character and the library of stories he possesses.

The Medan itself has its spooks. Littered with the corpses of soldiers and other atrocities, there are plenty of vile sights to behold. There’s a relentless level of tension that builds as you traverse the claustrophobic corridors of the ship. The setting itself relies a bit too heavily on jump scares for my taste, most of which you’ll see coming from a mile away. As you progress, there are many collectibles to uncover, including various trinkets and letters from U.S. soldiers. I tend to be a collectaholic, and I found much enjoyment in the items I managed to find. Though I admire stories bound mostly to a single location, I found the Medan to be rather mundane by the end. Many areas of the ship begin to blend together, and I was prepared to escape by the end of my six-hour run. However, I applaud the idea and adore the many ways the devs fulfilled the setting’s horrific potential.

Until Dawn Fans Rejoice! 

If you enjoyed Until Dawn’s gameplay, you’ll certainly enjoy Man of Medan’s. You spend the majority of your time moseying around the ship with a fair amount of quick-time events, making do or die decisions for action and dialogue, and remaining calm with a heartbeat mechanic. If you’re looking for dire repercussions to your choices, you’ll find them here. Trust me, I can attest to them. The game demands your unbridled attention and keeps you on edge from beginning to end. I managed to drop the ball on a few encounters by merely looking away from my screen for a few moments. The only technical hiccups I encountered were a thirty-second drop of audio during a pivotal scene and one moment where a character froze in place for a few seconds. Those moments were far from game-breaking, and overall performance is smooth on PC aside from controlling the characters with a mouse and keyboard. It tends to feel pretty wonky, so I advise using a controller.

In addition to the single-player experience, you can play online co-op in what’s called Shared Story, or with up to four friends in a couch co-op mode called Movie Night. I was able to experience the shared story mode with a fellow colleague during a demo of the game. It’s reminiscent of Hazelight Studios’ ‘A Way Out’ as you and a friend engage in actions simultaneously whether you’re in the same location or separated. It works well and makes for some hilarious moments when mistakes are made. Movie Night allows you and four friends to choose which character to control throughout the game. When one player’s in control, the rest watch until it’s their turn. Once you complete the game, the Curator Cut is unlocked featuring new scenes and playable characters. Having played more than half of the cut, I can confirm it’s no minor difference and absolutely worth experiencing.

Man of Medan’s graphically breathtaking. The visuals are practically photorealistic and complemented by excellent animations. There are a handful of uncanny facial expressions throughout the game, but the majority of them are gorgeous. The rusty blood-soaked corridors of the Medan are eerily mesmerizing, and many of evil entities within are effectively terrifying. Immersive audio is paramount to a compelling horror experience, and Supermassive nails it. The creaks and groans of the floating rust bucket contribute to the suspense, and there’s an abundance of bone-chilling noises to hear throughout. I enjoy the entirety of the game’s score, but I quickly fell in love with the main theme. I hope it reoccurs throughout all of the Dark Pictures Anthology.

If you’re interested in the game’s inspiration and development, I strongly recommend checking out the special features. There you can watch an awesome history of horror anthology mini-documentary as well as cast and developer interviews covering the production of the game.

Supermassive’s back in full swing. In spite of a predictable plot and setting that I eventually grew somewhat tired of, I loved every aspect of Man of Medan. It’s a killer debut to a series I’m now eagerly anticipating. It has the spooks, fun cast, and unforgiving consequences I grew to love in Until Dawn. Horror fans rejoice, as Man of Medan’s a phenomenal introduction to a promising new interactive anthology series.

For more on The Dark Pictures, you can check out 9-minutes of gameplay here:

***PC Review code provided by BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment***

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